Bill Dixon: In Medias Res

[clifford_thornton]

I'd like to note the long-awaited (at least by me) Bill Dixon article is now up at AAJ.

There will be forthcoming an image gallery of his paintings, lithographs, etc., up at AAJ next week as well as a series of excerpts from his manuscript "Vade Mecum".

Enjoy, and looking forward to your thoughts.

[jostber]

A fine, thorough article there on this great jazz composer. Thanks for the link.

[ep1str0phy]

Yes, thanks for putting this together--monumental work.

[blajay]

Great job, Clifford. Any way this could be published as a book? It deserves it.

[ep1str0phy]

Couple more things--there's a dissertation floating around that has apparently done extended, intense dissection of the Jazz Composers' Guild. I wonder if you've read it? Last time I checked, the cat who wrote the paper was on the way to getting the JCG chapter published... don't know if it was in the ether when you were researching for the interview.

Also: very cool to hear about Bob Ralston. He's one of those spectral voices I always thought may have played a notable role in 60's/70's free music.

[thedwork]

I'd like to note the long-awaited (at least by me) Bill Dixon article is now up at AAJ.

There will be forthcoming an image gallery of his paintings, lithographs, etc., up at AAJ next week as well as a series of excerpts from his manuscript "Vade Mecum".

Enjoy, and looking forward to your thoughts.

thanks a lot for putting this up here clifford! i'm looking forward to printing this out tomorrow and reading. Bill Dixon is the man!

[blajay]

"My work was all representational up until maybe 1960—I had a complete utter disdain for abstraction until then. I think at the same time I stopped reading novels I also abandoned representation. I remember one day when I was working at the UN and I was reading a novel, AJ Cronin or something, and I'd just finished it and said 'I don't need a singular figure telling me how a group of characters behave.' That was the last novel that I read."

That is brilliant and hilarious!

[clifford_thornton]

That's Bill for you.

ep1: The JCG article will be published next year in Jazz Perspectives (journal). It's by Ben Piekut. I haven't read it, but Andrew Raffo Dewar (Dixon scholar/student) has. Part of Dewar's thesis on Bill Dixon will be in J.P. as well.

No book yet. Thanks for your thoughts.

[AllenLowe]

strange thing for him to say, as there are so many non-representational novels - tell him to start with the French, with Robbe Grillet and Claude Simon - than we can move to Peter Handke, thrown in a few Beckett novels - I'll put together a reading list -

Edited September 17, 2009 by AllenLowe

[clifford_thornton]

Should've told him that in 1960 -

[AllenLowe]

well, I was only 6 at the time - hadn't gotten to Robbe Grillet yet, was still working my way through Proust (in the original French, of course) -

Edited September 18, 2009 by AllenLowe

[clifford_thornton]

My mom was thirteen and I was already on to Robert Coover somehow.

[johnlitweiler]

I'd like to note the long-awaited (at least by me) Bill Dixon article is now up at AAJ.

There will be forthcoming an image gallery of his paintings, lithographs, etc., up at AAJ next week as well as a series of excerpts from his manuscript "Vade Mecum".

Enjoy, and looking forward to your thoughts.

Thanks, Clifford -- the most revealing Bill Dixon interview I've yet seen, and I appreciate your responses to his music.

A lot of the Bill Dixon recordings and live performances of his own compositions somehow seem like one single long trumpet solo, interrupted perhaps by years and distances, with changing accompaniments. The music is pure abstraction, but lyrical abstraction. Quite a painter, too.

[sidewinder]

Anyone seen that Bill Dixon documentary film put together in the early 80s in Montreal I think? - also featuring Cecil Tayor and Paul Bley.

[Lazaro Vega]

"Imagine the Sound" ?

Very informative article/interview. The take on Conquistador is interesting. Played it on the radio Friday night, or With (Exit), not the title track, as well as one of the pieces from Dixon's appearance on record with the Exploding Star Orchestra in response to this, and telling listeners of the article's publication. Have to catch up some of the other more recent recording mentioned in the interview.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Thank you for this remarkable article, Clifford. Quality music journalism is alive and well. Lloyd Peterson's book (of which I've so far only read excerpts) is the only other thing that I've seen recently on this level.

[sidewinder]

"Imagine the Sound" ?

That's the one.

Thanks for posting the article. Enjoyable read.

Edited September 20, 2009 by sidewinder

[clifford_thornton]

Thanks for your support and glad you all like it!