Bill Dixon

This release marks Bill Dixon's 84th year in a life creating and developing one of the most singularly identifiable and personal visions in music. While this double CD set of music bristles wit the glacial counterpoints, sprays of energy and the throbbing subtexts of tension that define his music, it has in some ways a rawness and presence that sound more restrained than in previous work. This aspect has been ably spelled out in the accompanying documentary on his process, in which his focus on the playing aspect of limited written material (sometimes fragments and sketches) is detailed. Approaching the music in this way, as opposed to a more scored approach, shifts the emphasis of creation to the musical character of the individual player, much like Duke Ellington's methodology. This CD/DVD set is not only a great set of music, but an object lesson in process.