Photo by Isabelle Moisan

A public memorial event for musician/composer/educator/artist Bill Dixon will be held tomorrow from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at St. Mark’s Church In The Bowery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side.

The centerpiece of the program will be a performance of Dixon’s last composition by his Tapestries for Small Orchestra ensemble featuring Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Graham Haynes (cornet), Stephen Haynes (trumpet), Rob Mazurek (cornet), Glynis Lomon (cello), Michael Côté (clarinet), Ken Filiano (bass) and Warren Smith (percussion).

The group premiered this work at Dixon’s final live performance on May 22nd at the Festival International de Musique de Victoriaville (FIMAV).

In lieu of flowers or other donations, Dixon’s estate asks that interested parties support the Bill Dixon Music Fund, established in coordination with the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music), which will subsidize a range of ongoing work centered on his legacy.

Photo by Isabelle Moisan

On Saturday, July 31st from 5:30-7:30 p.m., musician/composer/educator/artist Bill Dixon will be remembered with a memorial event at St. Mark’s Church In The Bowery on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Dixon, an innovator in the world of creative improvised music and inspiration to subsequent generations of trumpet players, died on June 16th at his home in North Bennington, Vermont after a two-year illness. He was 84 years old.

The public event will include a performance of Dixon’s last composition by his Tapestries for Small Orchestra ensemble, which premiered the work at Dixon’s final performance on May 22nd at the Festival International de Musique de Victoriaville (FIMAV). The group includes Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Graham Haynes (cornet), Stephen Haynes (trumpet), Rob Mazurek (cornet), Glynis Lomon (cello), Michael Côté (clarinet), Ken Filiano (bass) and Warren Smith (percussion).

In lieu of flowers or other donations, Dixon’s estate asks that interested parties support the Bill Dixon Music Fund established in coordination with the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music). The fund will subsidize a range of ongoing work centered on his legacy. Donations can be made online or by mailing a check, with Dixon Fund written in the memo line, to FONT Music at P.O. Box 769, 215 West 104th Street in New York, 10025.

Photo by Nick Ruechel

On Saturday, May 22nd, the ensemble from eminent trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon‘s acclaimed 2009 release, Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records), will give its world premiere performance at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville.

The group, which also features Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet), Graham Haynes (trumpet), Stephen Haynes (trumpet), Rob Mazurek (trumpet), Glynis Lomon (cello), Michel Côté (clarinets), Ken Filiano (bass) and Warren Smith (vibraphone, marimba, drums and percussion), was first assembled by Dixon in 2008 to record specially commissioned original music made possible in part by a grant from the LEF Foundation’s Contemporary Work Fund and the support of the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT Music).

Critics called the final result of that three-day session, which also produced the half-hour documentary film, Bill Dixon: Going to the Center, “a powerful achievement” (Art Lange, Point of Departure), “thoroughly stunning” (Destination: Out), “uniquely exceptional” (Bob Rusch, Cadence), “the finest of his released orchestra projects” (Marc Medwin, Signal to Noise) and “the best document to date of the impact Dixon has had on subsequent generations of trumpeters” (Bill Shoemaker, DownBeat).

“Tapestries for Small Orchestra is distinguished tone poetry and painting,” writes Jazzwise reviewer Kevin Le Gendre. “The beauty of the 2-CD set lies as much in individual notes as it does assemblages thereof, and in the same way that single word in a sonnet or shade on a tableau can be the central focus of a poet or painter’s aesthetic, here the resonance of one sound is the essence. Ambitious, uncompromising in its use of structure, daring in its pursuit of unheard sounds, this is Dixon in the ascendant.”

The new Spring 2010 issue of Jazziz features reviews of three of our clients’ recent releases, as well as a feature story about Myra Melford related to her most recent recording, The Whole Tree Gone, on Firehouse 12 Records.

“Notes unfurl like gaseous masses, coalescing more like weather than music,” describes Jeff Jackson in his review of Bill Dixon’s Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records). “His compositions are indelibly beautiful, brimming with moments of startling lyricism and hypnotic intensity. These tunes create a sense of suspended time, seducing the listener even as they refuse to resolve in expected ways.”

“He’s appeared on more than 20 recordings since 2008 as either a frontman or a sideman—an astonishing output,” marvels Michael Roberts in his review of guitarist/bassist/composer Joe Morris’ most recent release as a leader. “Yet Today On Earth shows no signs of artistic exhaustion. To the contrary, his playing is consistently vibrant and inventive…the quality of Today On Earth suggests that his artistry is, as a song title here suggests, an ‘embrassment of riches.’”

“The Whole Tree Gone features a powerful band that, in addition to Melford, includes trumpeter Cuong Vu, clarinetist Ben Goldberg, guitarist Brandon Ross, bassist Stomu Takeishi and drummer Matt Wilson,” explains Phil Freeman. “Their music is a hypnotic combination of long, winding melody lines and assertive soloing with the ensemble frequently breaking down into subgroups. The entire group plays together rarely; piano and guitar duet, Vu and Goldberg take solos with little accompaniment, and there’s a thrilling passage toward the end of ‘A Generation Comes And Another Goes’ where Melford and Wilson go head-to-head, her solo combining spare beauty and percussive fury as the drummer smashes his cymbals and the guitarist interjects tiny spasms of picking that sound almost like a ukulele.”

In his second AUM Fidelity review of the issue, Roberts writes, “Pianist Eri Yamamoto’s classical training resonates throughout In Each Day, Something Good—but not in an obvious way. Rather than self-consciously larding her solos with symphonic quotes, she uses her knowledge of traditional structure as the foundation for jazz investigations that are simultaneously studied and swinging. Clearly, the classical student has become a masterful jazz interpreter.”

The Spring 2010 issue of Signal To Noise features reviews of Firehouse 12 Records’ two latest releases: Bill Dixon’s Tapestries for Small Orchestra and Myra Melford’s The Whole Tree Gone.

“All of the musicians (save bassist Ken Filiano) have recorded with Dixon before,” explains Marc Medwin, “and they enter his soundworld with ease and alacrity. Both pre-composed elements and improvisation are at play here, but so completely integrated that a sonic unity is acheived. Firehouse 12 deserves credit for their exemplary presentation of this project, especially in the first-class recording: would that all of Dixon’s orchestral work could be captured this well! Tapestries now stands as the finest of his released orchestra projects.”

Jason Bivins writes, “Melford’s own playing has always really tugged at my heartstrings. There’s nothing saccharine or manipulative about her emotionalism, just a raw exuberance that’s a delight to hear. The tunes provide maximum scope for emotion and creativity, as when Melford voices the horns in a manner recalling her own harmonium playing on the melancholy ‘Through The Same Gate’ (where percussive string sounds, in tadnem with [drummer Matt] Wilson, generate all kinds of scrumptious contrast). It’s a must-hear for Melford fans, and the kind of disc that might make some new converts.”

“Tapestries for Small Orchestra is a powerful achievement, an acknowledgement of what has come before and a slate-wiping/opening-up for things to come,” writes Clifford Allen in his unusually in-depth review of eminent trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon’s recent Firehouse 12 Records release in the new issue of Paris Transatlantic.

“Though it glances back to Dixon’s work with Judith Dunn as well as his multi-trumpet unit of the late 1970s/early 80s (with Stephen Haynes and Art Brooks), nothing like Tapestries could have been done in 1965, 1985 or even 1995. The caliber of players is extraordinarily high and their awareness is strong—the trumpet quartet on ‘Durations of Permanence’ rises out of a puckering unison, with [Taylor Ho] Bynum’s crumpled explosive miniatures, Stephen Haynes’ steely postbop, [Rob] Mazurek’s echoing flutter and Graham Haynes’ taut jabs all in play against a backdrop of strings, percussion and electronic wail. It’s a merger of multiple, craggy contrasts that gives the music its texture. Like all of Dixon’s work, Tapestries is sound to be felt.”

The Spanish-language Web publication ElIntruso.com has published the results of both its International Critics’ Poll and its International Musicians’ Poll, and we’re pleased to report that our 2009 clients topped five categories and finished second in four others.

In the critics’ poll, 27 writers selected their favorites in 22 different categories, and the top 5 vote-getters in each category (except for the Album of the Year, which has 6 finalists) were published.

Here’s a listing of how the musicians and labels we represented in 2009 finished by category in the final tally:

Músico del Año
Bill Dixon (#4)

Músico Revelación
Darius Jones (#1)
Darcy James Argue (#2)

Grupo Revelación
Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society (#1)
Darius Jones Trio (#5)

Álbum del Año
Darcy James Argue’s Infernal Machines (#1)

Compositor
Bill Dixon (#5)

Contrabajo/Bajo eléctrico
John Hébert (#5)

Guitarra
Mary Halvorson (#1)
Joe Morris (#4)

Trompeta/Corneta
Taylor Ho Bynum (#3)

Clarinete
James Falzone (#2)

Violín/Viola
Jessica Pavone (#2)

Cantante Femenina
Fay Victor (#1)

Sello Discográfico
Firehouse 12 Records (#2)

In the musicians’ poll, 88 musicians were asked to submit a top 10 list of their favorite releases of 2009, and 13 titles made the final cut (the final seven all tied).

We don’t promote our clients’ records to musicians, of course, but we’re proud their peers chose to recognize their efforts.

#6: John Hébert, Byzantine Monkey (Firehouse 12 Records)
#7 (tie): Bill Dixon, Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records)
#7 (tie): Darcy James Argue’s Secret Society, Infernal Machines (New Amsterdam Records)
#7 (tie): Jessica Pavone, Songs of Synastry and Solitude (Tzadik)
#7 (tie): Mary Halvorson/Reuben Radding/Nate Wooley, Crackleknob (hatOLOGY)

Honorable Mention: Gerald Cleaver/William Parker/Craig Taborn, Farmers by Nature (AUM Fidelity)

Congratulations to all the musicians and labels included in these two polls!

“Tapestries for Small Orchestra is distinguished tone poetry and painting,” writes Jazzwise reviewer Kevin Le Gendre in the February issue.

“The beauty of the 2-CD set lies as much in individual notes as it does assemblages thereof, and in the same way that single word in a sonnet or shade on a tableau can be the central focus of a poet or painter’s aesthetic, here the resonance of one sound is the essence. Ambitious, uncompromising in its use of structure, daring in its pursuit of unheard sounds, this is Dixon in the ascendant.”

“Anyone with an interest in the work of trumpeter and composer Bill Dixon—one of the surpassing, albeit relatively unsung, contributors to the music that, for better or worse, is known as jazz—should snap up this generously conceived, challenging but immensely rewarding release,” writes Michael Tucker in his review of Dixon’s Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records) in the February issue of Jazz Journal.

“There is, for a start, nearly two hours of typically thoughtful, deeply exploratory and beautifully interpreted music,” he continues, “also an intelligently edited half-hour DVD colour film profile of Dixon, in rehearsal with the musicians appearing here, directed by Robert O’Haire and playable on the European PAL system. Dixon says many cogent things about both his music and art in general, including the central issue of abstraction—he was trained as a painter and has exhibited his work internationally—and there are further, insightful comments on what it means to work with Dixon, from all the musicians appearing with him on this release.”

The Jan/Feb/Mar 2010 issue of Cadence just arrived, and with it several reviews of our clients’ releases.

Here’s a sample:

Bill Dixon’s Tapestries for Small Orchestra (Firehouse 12 Records)
by Bob Rusch

“…what really sets off this offering as uniquely exceptional is the half hour video from the recording rehearsals—a wonderul portrait of the man, the artist and the artistic process. Whether or not you enjoy his music, this video should be viewed by anyone who wants to know why some engage in unpopular artistic efforts. Tapestries for Small Orchestra is a wondrous document.”

John Hébert, Byzantine Monkey (Firehouse 12 Records)
by Stuart Kremsky

“Hébert wrote all the tunes for this set, intricate compositions that often generate heated collective improvisations from this singular crew. Byzantine Monkey offers consistently stimulating music, played with knowledgeable abandon and beautifully recorded at the renowned Systems Two studio. Who could ask for anything more?”

KLANG, Tea Music (Allos Documents)
by Stuart Kremsky

“Falzone shows great command. His clarinet can sound smooth, harsh, prue, or complex, as the moment demands. The level of rapport is extraordinary, and the malleability of each player’s role in the ensemble provides a broader range of instrumental color than you might expect. Great stuff, with more to discover in the miusic each time around.”

Carl Maguire’s Floriculture, Sided Silver Solid (Firehouse 12 Records)
by David Kane

“True to the group name, Floriculture, Maguire has cultivated a fascinating garden full of beautifully strange musical flora and fauna…he has broken new ground in improvisational music—something these days that is very hard to do. Virtually every track reveals a compelling musical vision crafted by a confident hand and stunningly played by these great musicians…a major artistic statement, impressive in both conception and execution. Sided Silver Solid stands out as an important musical achievement and represents the best of what’s possible in the Avant-garde.”

Michael Musillami Trio + 3, From Seeds (Playscape Recordings)
by Grego Applegate Edwards

“This is one of those records that hits you by surprise. The rhythm section is hip, the solisits are all good and Musillami’s guitar work is exceptional…an excellent recording. It is most definitely one of my favorites of the year thus far.”

The Fay Victor Ensemble, The FreeSong Suite (Greene Avenue Music)
by Jerome Wilson

“Fay Victor’s voice is reminiscent of Betty Carter’s siren call mixed with the go-for-broke improvising of someone like Ellen Christi…a breathtakingly original set.”

We’d also like to congratulate Yoon Sun Choi & Jacob Sacks’ Imagination (Yeah Yeah Records), Bill Dixon’s 17 Musicians in Search of a Sound (AUM Fidelity), the Mary Halvorson Trio’s Dragon’s Head (Firehouse 12 Records), The Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra’s Muse (Creative Nation Music), William Parker’s Double Sunrise Over Neptune (AUM Fidelity), the William Parker Quartet’s Petit Oiseau (AUM Fidelity), the Mario Pavone Double Tenor Quintet’s Ancestors (Playscape Recordings) and David S. Ware’s Shakti (AUM Fidelity) on being recognized by critics in the 2009 Record Poll.