A set that features music from three different sessions recorded by trumpeter
Bill Dixon in the mid 60s – all pretty groundbreaking work, even all these many years later! First up is a quartet co-led by
Archie Shepp and
Bill Dixon – easily one of the greatest modern jazz pairings of the 60s! If you only know
Shepp from his later work, you'll hear something very different here – as his tenor's often brought into tight focus with the trumpet of
Dixon – in a blend of arrangement and freedom that's like that of Ted Curson and
Bill Barron, but a lot more powerful overall! The tunes still have a sense of structure – and get great help from the bass of Don Moore and drums of Paul Cohen – but there's also some tremendously unbridled energy from the leaders, especially
Dixon, who might not have sounded this great ever again. Titles include "Quartet" and "Trio". Next up is one side of an album that
Dixon split with
Shepp for Savoy – and
Dixon's material here features a septet, with a great lineup that includes Ken McIntyre on alto and oboe, George Barrow on tenor, and both Hal Dodson and David Izenzon on basses. Titles include "Winter Song 1964" and "The 12th December". Last up is the seminal Intents & Purposes record – one of the few rare records cut by
Bill Dixon during the 60s, and a perfect example of "new thing" jazz in action. Trumpeter
Dixon plays in 3 different ensembles – a nonet, a quintet, and a duet – with players like Byard Lancaster, Reggie Workman, Robert Pozar, and Jimmy Garrison. The tracks are long, with an approach that begins with compositional structures, but which also showcases the avant solo talents of the players – in a manner that's similar to some of the Blue Note work by Anthony Williams or Grachan Moncur III. A darn tough record to find – and with the tracks "Voices", "Nightfall Pieces I & II", and "Metamorphosis".