Search - Exploding Star Orchestra, Bill Dixon :: Bill Dixon with Exploding Star Orchestra

Another great creative orchestra effort from Rob Mazurek

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 02/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I stated in my review of the first Exploding Star Orchestra CD that it did not really strike me as free jazz big band music. It struck me as a very creative and diverse largely composed through music. This CD however seems freer in its approach. Some of that can be attributed to Mazurek's dedication of this CD to an musician/magician he obviously admires, Bill Dixon. Dixon composed the first and third piece and is the dedicatee of the second piece, a composition by Mazurek. Dixon is perhaps the dominant solo voice as well.

The result is another superb contribution to creative orchestra music by Mazurek and his associates, all of whom deserve to be acknowledged:

Nicole Mitchell (flutes, voice)

Matt Bauder (bass clarinet, tenor sax)

Jeb Bishop (trombone)

Josh Berman (cornet)

Jeff Parker (guitar)

Jim Baker (piano)

Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone, tubular bells)

Matthew Lux (bass guitar)

Jason Ajemian (double bass)

Mike Reed (drums, timpani)

John Herndon (drums)

Damon Locks (voice)

Let me be clear about something- this is not totally free music. Both Dixon and Mazurek provide the ensemble with a complex shifting and sectional composed framework. It is just that the individual players play more freely than on the first CD. The sound samples that Amazon provides are useless for music like this (although the beginning of Entrances/One with the double drums of Herndon and Reed, combined w/Adasiewicz' vibes and Parker's brilliant stumbling guitar gives you a nice feel for what may lie ahead).

The samples don't allow you to hear the section about eight minutes into Entrances/One where the flute, the vibes and the piano are interacting or the delightful section 14 minutes or so into Constellations where the brass and the tubular bells provide a sweet little melodic phrase for the sax, flute and trombone to play around. This lasts until about the 17 minute mark when an ensemble statement shifts the composition into a darker and freer sonic world. Arguably the main delight is the frequent duet sections for the two composers. Mazurek and Dixon obviously respect each other and delight in the opportunity to play together.

In my review of the first Exploding Star Orchestra CD, I expressed the hope that this group would be able to stay together. Let us all hope that this group continues to have a long and productive life. I see some hope that Creative Orchestra Music is undergoing a small revival of sorts (I recently purchased a couple of Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra Live CDs and Mezei Szilard Ensemble's Bot that give me great hope for the future of the genre). Take a chance of this CD if you have open ears. These are great musicians being led by a composer/player of great talent all of whom are expanding their individual and collective abilites paying homage to a legend of the music. Great stuff. Let me know what you think.

"