ghost of miles Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 Just posted to the Jazz Programmer Listserv: To all concerned: I was asked to inform you of the regrettable death of vibraphonist Walt Dickerson, by his beloved wife, Elizabeth. Walt passed away on May 15 from cardiac arrest. He was 80 years of age and lived in Willow Grove, PA. In sympathy, Andrew Cyrille Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 By all accounts, a highly principled man who made music that was every bit as highly principled. Always a loss when somebody like that leaves this plane, but always a blessing to have them here while they are. RIP, and deepest, sincerest thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Bill Barton Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 Oh, no! Sad news indeed. R.I.P. Just last week I played music from the remarkable duo album he did with Sun Ra on Bright Moments. Time to haul that disc out again in memoriam. He was a beautiful player and by all accounts I've heard a beautiful person as well. He will be missed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted May 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 I love that record with Sun Ra, Bill B. Need to spin that one again myself...as well as TO A QUEEN. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.:.impossible Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 Oh no. I still had hope that he would play out again. I've been listening to To My Queen on vinyl over and over again this week. I'm constantly impressed by the fullness of his tone, regardless of how quickly he is playing. This is even more evident on vinyl than the CD that I've been listening to all this time. It is possible to miss a man you've never met. Life Rays Walt. Life Rays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robviti Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 i've been a fan of walt's for several years. i was drawn to his rather distinctive sound, owing in part to his self-modified mallets. i also enjoyed sharing his music with people who only knew bobby, milt, and a few other vibists. goodbye walt, and thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
7/4 Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 rest in peace Walt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul secor Posted May 17, 2008 Report Share Posted May 17, 2008 Reading - Walt Dickerson R.I.P. - really hit me hard. You were unique, Mr. Dickerson. Thanks for all you gave us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 More sad news. Death has no mercy in this land. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeweil Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) What a unique vibist! R.I.P. p.s. AFAIK he was born in 1931 - that would make him 77 years of age - at least the jazz encyclopedias I have state this. Edited May 18, 2008 by mikeweil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chalupa Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) R.I.P. Edited May 18, 2008 by J.H. Deeley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted May 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Working on a brief writeup for the Night Lights site and listening to some of the recordings as I do so--after Andrew Hill and Cyrille, I'd forgotten how good George Tucker is on the original QUEEN. IMPRESSIONS OF A PATCH OF BLUE holds up really well (Sun Ra on celeste!), too; one of Jerry Goldsmith's slighter scores, but Dickerson makes good, brooding use of the material. I also didn't realize how little he'd recorded (at all?) in the past 25 years. Certainly grateful for what he did leave us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) Oh no, more sad news to start the day - and I was really hoping one day to catch one of his performances but sadly it was not to be. A most dignified musician and, yes - very unique artist with a very fine recording legacy. A few of the Lps will be coming out today - 'Impressions of a Patch of Blue', 'Jazz Impressions of Lawrence of Arabia' and the Steeplechase album done with Sun Ra ('Visions') plus the direct cut Steeplechase 'Divine Revelations'. One of my all-time favourites on the vibes - may he RIP. Edited May 18, 2008 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 As Sidewinder says, more sad news to start the day. A truly original vibes player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 As Sidewinder says, more sad news to start the day. A truly original vibes player. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) I've got a trio album (Serendipity - Steeplechase) he did w/one Rudy McDaniels on electric bass & Edgar Bateman on drums, recorded live in Philly, 8/11/76. Rudy McDaniels became far better known as Jamaladeen Tacuma and for playing far different music(s) than this. And yet he sounds perfectly in sync w/Dickerson here. I've got to think that that's because Walt Dickerson's own voice was so strong and secure that playing with him was actually "easy" if you had the requisite body of skills and openness of mind and spirit. There's no sense that he's "trying" to do anything, he's doing it. It's the voice of a leader, a person who knows exactly what they are doing and exactly where they are going with it, and it is a joyous privilege to be able to play with such a voice. This holds true of every performance of his I've ever heard, this clarity of vision & voice. It is a rare quality and one of the hallmarks of a truly mature artist, the ability to make "complex" thoughts "speak" clearly and unambiguously. Many people might have slept on Walt Dickerson in his lifetime (and some of that was due to his self-imposed semi-isolation), and many more might well do so in the future (as they will so many others), but anybody who does get to the work of Walt Dickerson will find it all of a piece - strong, principled music that speaks its truths with a combination of "complexity" & clarity rarely found in any music. Edited May 18, 2008 by JSngry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Francis Davis wrote a memorable piece on the Patch of Blue album which was reprinted in one of his collections, though I'm uncertain, offhand, which one - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndrewHill Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 I don't own anything by Dickerson (just haven't gotten around to exploring his work yet) but my respects nonetheless. RIP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Noj Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Now playing A Sense Of Direction, to be followed by Relativity and To My Queen in Walt's honor. RIP Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 I only have Prestige vinyl but I've got out Sense of Direction for later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 I only have Prestige vinyl but I've got out Sense of Direction for later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate Dorward Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Very sad news--I only have Impressions of A Patch of Blue but it's pretty extraordinary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
six string Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 By all accounts, a highly principled man who made music that was every bit as highly principled. Always a loss when somebody like that leaves this plane, but always a blessing to have them here while they are. RIP, and deepest, sincerest thanks. Wonderful post. My sentiments exactly. I've only been aware of his music for about nine months, but I love everything I've heard by him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted May 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 (edited) Dark Forces Swing Blind Punches eulogy (some very good links here to a Dickerson interview and article that the blogger/author wrote) Night Lights post WBGO blog writeup Jsngry, I hear that PEACE is another very good Dickerson trio Steeplechase album. The only later album I have is TO MY QUEEN REVISITED (with Albert Dailey on piano). Edited May 18, 2008 by ghost of miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.L.M Posted May 18, 2008 Report Share Posted May 18, 2008 Sad. RIP, Walt. I discover WALT with "TO MY SON" on Steeple Chase in the late 70's. I own now all of his available disco and like it almost all. But "TO MY SON" stays as my favorite. It's the records who made me like the vibes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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