Search - Various Artists :: Other Dimensions in Music

Collective Brilliance

Christopher Forbes | Brooklyn,, NY | 01/15/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Other Dimensions in MusicFree jazz was born in an atmosphere of collectivism. The initial heady years of the 60s saw the formation of a vast number of collective groups and organizations, the Jazz Composers Orchestra Association, the October Revolution, the AACM, and groups like the New York Contemporary Five, the AMM in Britain, the Black Arts Group in St. Louis, and a host of other small collectives all had their start in the radical idea, for jazz at least, that there no longer were any headliners or any sideman...that all musicians were equally responsible for the music. Unfortunately, human nature being what it is, the collective concept didn't seem to last long. Invariably, some musicians shown brighter than others, and free jazz begat its own panoply of stars. Still though, there are some groups and musicians who remain dedicated to the collective concept. One of the most interesting of these collective groups is Other Dimensions in Music (ODIM).ODIM is comprised of some of the finest second-generation free musicians in the New York area, recorded in mid-career for all of them, 1989. It features Roy Campbell on brass, master bassist William Parker, Rashid Bakr on drums, and the multi-instrumental wonder Daniel Carter on alto, tenor, trumpet and flute. With such a line-up of brilliant musicians, it's little wonder that this work is an amazing album. It is. But it is also an incredibly subtle album, and that makes it doubly rare and doubly to be treasured in a city where free jazz often means extreme jazz.Each member of the group brings something special to the mix. Roy Campbell is one of those rare musicians who live simultaneously in two jazz worlds. He is both an outstanding free trumpeter and a major voice in the post-bop world. Campbell's phrasing is original, but steeped in the history of jazz, as his contribution to the liner notes states. Campbell has studied the history, and you can hear the ghosts of Pops, Little Jazz and even Woody Shaw in his playing. Yet it is an utterly unique voice as well, fluid and exciting...even biting at times, but always engages both the mind and the heart. William Parker is a rock...I know of no bass player who is more inventive and yet who can throw down a heavier groove when needed. Parker on record unfortunately doesn't do justice to the man, who's bass sound is too gigantic for more recording equipment. Bakr is able to swing back and forth from Africanized grooves, to straight-ahead swing, to the tempo-less beat spreading of the avant-garde with ease. He particularly shines on Sihu Chant for Sly Stone..., which might as well be a percussion solo. Saving my favorite musician for last, Daniel Carter shines on this disc. Carter is as free a spirit as the New York scene has, a musician who doesn't shy away from the dark moments on the disc, and yet is ever able to melt into a truly lovely phrase or a swinging modal groove without batting an eye. And his spirit pours out his horn in that amazing sort of way that Trane and Ayler's did. The man seems at one with his instrument and the music that comes out of it.The album itself is beautiful. It is neither too pretty for free jazz fans, nor too forbidding for the less adventurous. The band cooks, but rarely rises to a conflagration. Instead of being music about energy, this is music about music. The interaction between the horns is almost uncanny. At times you could swear that Campbell and Carter are finishing each other's musical sentences. Bakr and Parker play in lockstep with each other, able to pick up on the slightest nuances in the other's playing. The result is striking and lovely.Fans of extreme jazz ala Brotzman and Breuker may be disappointed in this album, but those of us who love good music no matter the stylistic shape it takes can only be delighted. Other Dimensions in Music certainly does touch other dimensions, ones that are not bound by idealistic manifestos or by rigid boundaries, but which are defined by the passions of the players and the spirit of the moment. This music is timeless and recommended to even those who are afraid of free jazz. You may find your tastes changed by this album!"