Search - Walt Dickerson :: Peace

A Precious Gift From A Genius In Jazz

Michael F. Hopkins | Buffalo, NY USA | 08/06/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The name Walt Dickerson is unknown to all but a relative few around the world, even among many longtime Jazz listeners, and that's a damned shame. Active in this music for a good half-century or more, Dickerson is an ultimate master of the vibraphone; his plush, yet ringingly metallic timbre issuing perhaps the most original sound on the instrument since Milt Jackson, even Lionel Hampton himself. A predecessor to the likes of Bobby Hutcherson, Karl Berger, and Jay Hoggard, Dickerson is paralleled only by Gunter Hampel in the unique calibre of professional achievement on this most challenging instrument.



Between this and his slyly melodic, daringly rhythmic compositions (from "Sense Of Direction" and "To My Queen" to "Tell Us Only The Beautiful Things", "No Ordinary Man" and a cornucopia of others), Dickerson's harmonic sorcery bridges the abstract and the plaintive, dissonant groove and consonant swing with remarkable smoothness. Terms such as "avant-garde" and "straight-ahead" are merged, dissolved, and forged into the prime focus of Music. Straight-up, solid, on the case. Music.



Few cases demonstrate the beauty of Walt Dickerson's artistry more fluently than this epic date from the mid-1970s, recorded for the Steepelechase label. With nimbly-stepping bassist Lisle Atkinson and drumlord Andrew Cyrille, Dickerson weaves this alluring, beguiling collection of tone poems conjured from the very air of Peace in instrumentally choral motion. Meditative, engaging, intensely beckoning, perceptions and misconceptions alike will be firmly, gracefully challenged with this set of iridescent rhapsodies representing Jazz freedom at its very finest.



Time and again, History has shown that Walt Dickerson stands with singer Jeanne Lee and pianist Herbie Nichols as a grievously underrated genius, an outstanding African-American original who has made a lasting impression on this time-honored, world-class Music.

Time for the secret to come out, respect fully given, and recognition to be properly paid, at long last.



Time for the lyrical bounties of PEACE.

"