Two implicitly lyrical players -- trumpeter Kirk Knuffke and drummer Whit Dickey -- in their second album together of well-paced, thoughtful dialog, an intimate set of recordings that show the adept skills of both as they promote their inherent melodic intentions on their instruments, neither overpowering, but conversing in a warm and rewarding give and take.
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Whit Dickey-drums
Kirk Knuffke-trumpet
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300 LP copies limited edition.
Label: NoBusiness
Catalog ID: NBLP 122
Squidco Product Code: 27802
Format: LP
Condition: New
Released: 2019
Country: Poland
Packaging: LP
Recorded at the Studio 2, in Brooklyn, New York, on January 12th, 2018, byMax Ross.
"Drone Dream isn't Whit Dickey and Kirk Knuffke's first dance together. The drummer and cornetist met under similar studio circumstances several years ago for a session released under the auspices of the Clean Feed label. This time the commercial conduit is the Lithuanian No Business imprint and it's an equally apposite fit for the spontaneous investigations that are their parlance. The title of the earlier outing colorfully emphasized the duo's shared skill in lacing segments of silence through their dialogue. The old musical adage arguing parity of importance between what is played and what isn't echoes regularly in the give and take between their instruments.
Packaged as a limited-edition LP (per No Business standard), the album partitions neatly into three improvisations per side. "Soaring" sets trajectory in both title and content as Knuffke blows curvaceous tones over a string of snare rolls and cymbal accents that incrementally gains volume and velocity. A sudden dual downshift resets direction and the piece concludes at a porous lope halted by a final furtive blast of brass. "Weave 1" debuts Dickey's painterly brushes and Knuffke's natural wah-wah effects. Its immediate sequel covers adjacent ground with sparely deployed sticks and legato brass shapes that mix melody with melancholy before turning ominous with tom-tom rolls and open bell growls.
Another improvised dyad dominates the album's second side in "Legba Sequence Dream 1 & 2." Dickey sets up fields of percussive texture with mallets, gongs, and cymbals as Knuffke blows billowy vapor trails that fluctuate between airborne musings and sharper-edged cries. Dickey dials up the rhythmic density in the final minutes as if invoking the African spiritual entity indexed in the title. "Oblique Blessing" returns a sense of comparative calm with Knuffke once again spooling what feels like Mobius Strip of melody over a swirling terrain of struck cymbals and drum skin. The feeling that these two could continue their clairvoyant colloquy indefinitely pervades even after stylus and vinyl groove part ways."-Derek Taylor, Dusted Magazine
300 LP copies limited edition.
Get additional information at Dusted Magazine
Artist Biographies
• Show Bio for Whit Dickey "Whit Dickey (born May 28, 1954, New York City) is a free jazz drummer. He has recorded albums as a bandleader, with David S. Ware, Matthew Shipp and others. Free jazz drummer Whit Dickey first stepped into the spotlight as a leader with the release of his Transonic album from Aum Fidelity in 1998. Two years later, Wobbly Rail issued his Big Top release. Previously, he was best known for his solid work with Matthew Shipp and David S. Ware, with whom Dickey split in 1996. Early the following year, the drummer began composing the works that would be included on Transonic. Dickey penned all but two songs, "Kinesis" and "Second Skin," on the collection, and he even had a hand in those with the help of his fellow musicians on the album. The original compositions give a nod to the influence of "Criss Cross" and "Off Minor" from the legendary Thelonious Monk. Dickey recorded the album with the aid of Rob Brown on flute and alto saxophone, and Chris Lightcap on bass. In 2001, Dickey recorded half a dozen of his compositions with Mat Maneri, Shipp, and Brown under the name Nommonsemble, and put out Life Cycle through Aum Fidelity. Whit Dickey made a name for himself as the former drummer of David S. Ware's famous quartet. Since then Dickey's musical contributions have gone well beyond his work as Ware's drummer. He is capable of tremendous power and yet has the ability for subtle gesture. Dickey is a composer as well as a drummer and his music has reached new heights in his recent small group work, with a coterie of great musicians including alto saxophonist Rob Brown. He has been performing with Matthew Shipp since 1991 and continues to play and record with Roy Campbell Jr., Mat Maneri, Chris Lightcap and many others. Since 2007 Dickey has been focussing on developing an integrative improvisational style while working with Shipp's Trio. Daniel Carter and Dickey recorded an album pianist Eri Yamamoto in 2008. The album Art of the Improvisor from The Matthew Shipp Trio received much critical acclaim and was listed as one of the year's best of 2011. Dickey has started a cooperative unit with Sabir Mateen & Michael Bisio, which is another example of post- Coltrane integral unity, and is call Blood Trio. Shipp, Bisio and Dickey have also been working with Ivo Perelman in various configurations." ^ Hide Bio for Whit Dickey • Show Bio for Kirk Knuffke "Cornetist and Composer Kirk Knuffke is the winner of Downbeat Magazine's "Rising Star"critics poll for 2015. A recipient of the Jerome Foundation composers grant, Kirk has released 15 recordings as a leader or co-leader. "One of modern jazz's most skilled navigators of the divide between inside and outside, freedom and swing", he has "full command of his most demanding instrument" - All About Jazz. Kirk placed in the top five in the World in the El Intruso critics poll and was one of 6 nominees for Trumpeter of the year by the Jazz Journalist Association. Matt Wilson, Allison Miller, Butch Morris, Uri Caine, Michael Formanek, and many more have hired him as a sideman for over 60 recordings, he has been called "One of New York City's busiest musicians" - New York Times. Knuffke has been based in NYC since 2005. Shortly after his arrival Knuffke began playing with Butch Morris, this friendship resulted in 4 recordings and several European tours. Kirk joined the celebrated Matt Wilson Quartet in 2009, recording "Gathering Call" (Palmetto) featuring John Medeski and touring each year. 2016 brought Matt Wilson's "Beginning of a memory" Palmetto, which received 5 stars in Downbeat Magazine. Michael Formaneks "The Distance" ECM was also awarded 5 stars this year. Knuffke also plays in "Sifter" with Mary Halvorson and Wilson, Ideal Bread, Allison Miller's "Boom Tic Boom", Todd Sickafoose's "Tiny Resistors" and groups led by Ray Anderson, Uri Caine, Mark Helias, Bill Goodwin, Karl Berger and Ted Brown to name a few. "Arm and Hands" a recent release garnering praise from every major Jazz publication as 4 Stars in Downbeat magazine review and Sunday New York Times. The Following CDs "Little Cross" Steeplechase records and "Lamplighter" Fresh Sound Records have also received much praise. Kirk Has had feature articles in Downbeat Magazine, Jazz Times, Germany's "Sonic", and Denmark's "JazzSpecial" among others." ^ Hide Bio for Kirk Knuffke
10/2/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
10/2/2024
Have a better biography or biography source? Please Contact Us so that we can update this biography.
Track Listing:
SIDE A
1. Soaring 07:36
2. Weave 1 06:09
3. Weave 2 06:49
SIDE B
1. Legba Sequence - Dream 2 04:13
2. Oblique Blessing 07:06
Vinyl Recordings
Improvised Music
Jazz
Free Improvisation
NY Downtown & Metropolitan Jazz/Improv
Duo Recordings
Percussion & Drums
Recordings featuring brass instruments - trumpets, trombones, tubas, other horns
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