I have been listening to and studying Bill Dixon's work on and off for almost 40 years. To say that he has been one of the major influences on my musical thinking is an understatement. Yet if one looks at the recorded evidence, the examples of his work prior to the l990's are few and far between, those from the l070's almost non-existent.
That's why it's such a joy to have this six-CD, this ODYSSEY, made available covering the period from l970-l992 but with the majority of the pieces coming from the l970's. It includes five CDs of solo trumpet, flugelhorn or piano, some incorporating overdubbed parts also played by Dixon. There is also one CD of spoken word, a master improviser talking about the music and how and why it came into being. There's a lot of music to get through and----let's not kid ourselves---this is not easy music.

The importance of this issue for me, as a composer and improviser, lies first of all in its intimacy. One is almost privy to the inner workings of the musical mind that becomes evident in the music. Almost, because there is always that thing in art which is unknowable. Although Dixon is playing rather than Œpracticing', he is not, for the most part, performing. Practicing and playing, as Dixon never tires of saying, are two very different things. One should ideally leave the practicing behind when actually playing. Playing is real.

The second fundamental fact of ODYSSEY is its breathtaking emotional and expressive range, not to mention the technical mastery that is displayed not in a virtuosic sense but rather in a humane, spiritual way. ODYSSEY is a life stripped down, made visible, made audible. This is music truly within the realms of poetry. Dixon has recently written, "Solo performance due to its utilization of a single instrumentalist can [also] be considered the most pure form of musical performance." Purity: it's an apt description of the brass sound on many of the pieces presented here, and it's coupled with clarity --- of thought, of vision, of articulation. The 61 tracks vary in duration from 43 seconds ("Mosaic") to the almost 27 minutes of "Jerusalem," an amazing live performance recorded in 1990 in the city for which it was named. Anybody who has studied or admired Bill Dixon's music will not be disappointed with the contents of this handsome boxed set.

Many of the compositions run for less than three minutes, yet they impress with their concision. Elsewhere I have suggested that the Japanese verse form of Haiku may be a useful parallel to some of Dixon's work. It was never more apparent than in these jewel-like improvisations. They give the impression of an almost instant manifestation, a sort of imagist precision of accomplishment. They're a distillation of musical memory and invention as well as being a veritable inventory of brass techniques.

These are some of the high points: "Pensieroso" and "More Than Something" are beautiful unfoldings of melody, while "Masai" and "Graffiti sui Soffiti" explode from the speakers, as extremes of embouchure control are executed with faultless yet expressive care. Then there is the pensive beauty of "Changes" (1973), "Long Alone Song" (1974) and "Concordde" (1974-5); the excitement of "The Somnambulist" (1973-74) and "Mosaic" (1970-71); while "Manuscripts For Fathers & Sons" from l973 is sublime. But there are no "make weight" pieces here. All express profound feelings and have been selected with a are and attention that deserves commensurate effort from the listener.

All great art has at its center a mystery, something ineffable or ineluctable that defies not only description but also belief. How did this thing come into being and why does it exist? This quality, when observed in improvised music, is all the more remarkable because it arrives based on what has preceded it. No erasure is possible, no correction or re-consideration lest it become something else. Yet it is born nonetheless. The music of Bill Dixon is filled with such moments.

ODYSSEY comes in a 29x23 cm box with an excellent collection of essays - including one by Ben Young and an interview with Graham Lock - and a second book, "Works on Paper," containing 13 reproductions of Dixon's paintings, another remarkable dimension of his art. It is a limited edition and may be ordered directly from Bill Dixon. Check out his website at: www.bill-dixon.com.