17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur cover

17 Musicians in Search of a Sound: Darfur

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At the 2007 Vision Festival, trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon mustered an ensemble of 17 musicians (including himself) that included seven brass players, six reeds players, bass, cello, and two percussionists playing everything from jazz drum kits to tympani and vibraphone. They played a single hour-long work divided into 13 sections, some of which were themselves divided into multiple parts (“Contour One,” “Contour Two,” “Contour Three,” “Pentimento” I through IV) with the nearly 24-minute “Sinopia” serving as centerpiece. Dixon’s compositional voice is all over this program – he favors low-end instruments, so we get tuba, bassoon, bass and contrabass clarinets, baritone and bass saxophones, upright bass and cello. Those are countered by three cornet and flugelhorn players, and two tenor trombonists, plus Dixon’s own trumpet, pushed through electronic effects. There are relatively few solos, though; this is an ensemble work, full of crescendos and shimmering clouds of harmony. Working at this scale requires funding, which is rarely available, so this is the only example of truly orchestral work from Dixon, but the hallmarks of his style are present every thrilling minute.

Phil Freeman

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