AUM Fidelity: AUM046 
http://www.aumfidelity.com/aum046.html

* Bill Dixon: trumpet/composer
* Graham Haynes: cornet/flugelhorn
* Stephen Haynes: cornet/flugelhorn
* Taylor Ho Bynum: cornet/flugelhorn
* Dick Griffin: tenor trombone
* Steve Swell: tenor trombone
* Joseph Daley: tuba
* Karen Borca: bassoon
* Will Connell: bass clarinet
* Michel Côté: Bb contrabass clarinet
* Andrew Raffo Dewar: soprano saxophone
* John Hagen: tenor & baritone saxophones
* JD Parran: bass saxophone, bamboo flute
* Andrew Lafkas: bass
* Glynis Loman: cello
* Jackson Krall: drums & percussion
* Warren Smith: vibraphone, tympani & drums

01 - Prelude
02 - Intrados
03 - In Search of a Sound
04 - Contour One
05 - Contour Two
06 - Scattering of the Following
07 - Darfur
08 - Contour Three
09 - Sinopia
10 - Pentimento I
11 - Pentimento II
12 - Pentimento III
13 - Pentimento IV

Compositions by Bill Dixon, Metamorphosis Music (BMI)

Recorded live June 20, 2007 at Vision Festival XII by Stefan Heger
Mixed and mastered by Nick Lloyd on January 9 & 10, 2008
at Firehouse 12, New Haven, CT

Orchestra/Production Coordinator: Stephen Haynes


Reviews
~~~~~~~
By Stef

This is probably one of the first recorded pieces for large ensemble by Bill
Dixon, who is best known for his very avant-garde duo or trio albums. This
release was commissioned by Arts for Art, the producers of the Vision Festival
for the 2007 event, together with Roy Campbell’s Akhenaten Suite and William
Parker’s orchestral work Double Sunrise Over Neptune (due in August).

The band consists of Bill Dixon on trumpet, Graham Haynes, Stephen Haynes and
Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and flugelhorn; Dick Griffin and Steve Swell on tenor
trombone; Joseph Daly on tuba; Karen Borca on bassoon; Will Connell on bass
clarinet; Michel Cote on Bb contrabass clarinet; Andrew Raffo Dewar on soprano
sax, John Hagen on tenor sax, baritone sax; J.D.Parran on bass saxophone and
bamboo flute; Glynis Loman on cello; Andrew Lafkas on bass; Jackson Krall on
drums and percussion, and finally Warren Smith on vibes, tympani, drums.

"17 Musicians In Search Of A Sound : Darfur" is a long musical suite, centered
around the long "Sinopia". Sinopia is the color of dry earth, the color
underpinning oil paintings. The color is red. The color of blood. Short tracks
full of foreboding, dark and menacing horns, playing slow, magnificent,
cinematic music, verging on classical, in which low unison tones build a
horrifying dramatic atmosphere, with percussion added to for full effect, rather
than for supporting the rhythm. In some of the initial moments, the cello and
arco bass strain away from the unison theme to create some dissonant sounds, on
some of the other tracks, the dark wave of sound stops to let the individual
voices of the various instruments wail and weep, in duet, or with the full band,
creating full and intense chaos, stopping abruptly and rejoining the ranks of
the main sound. On "Scattering Of The Following", the individual instruments get
their first chance for real improvisation, with trumpet, tuba, bass saxophone
and vibes setting the scene, one full of disarray and emotional distress. The
tune "Darfur" offers the darkest pieces of orchestrated gloom and doom you may
have heard so far, stopping halfway for squealing sax sounds and screeching arco
bass, supported by irregular drumming, moving the music to a crescendo of
despair, which is followed by solo trumpet, intervening arco bass, and slowly
the whole ensemble joins, slowly, irrevocably.

"Sinopia" starts with baritone solo, and slowly evolves into the most
avant-garde moment of the record, with one instrumental solo taking over from
the other, and though the various musicians freely improvise, there is clear
structure about when what happens and about who does what, even if the content
itself is free, but gradually they start weaving a coherent sound, all
contributing to the overall darkness, despite the diversity of sounds created by
the individual instruments. It is both primal and funereal, ending in sheer
agony.

This center pieces is followed by four short tracks, mirroring the opening
tracks of the record, again with slow dark, gloomy and menacing ensemble sounds,
called "Pentimenti", meaning traces of changes made by the painter, showing that
he has changed his mind and started differently. The references to painting,
both in the titles and on the cover, also demonstrate the composer's interest in
creating colors of sound, creating new mixtures, new approaches, and he succeeds
in this.

The end result is surely one of the musical highlights of the year. It is
uncompromising, but clever, with a band of great musicians who play in an
incredibly controlled and focused manner. And it succeeds in every aspect where
Evan Parker's "Boustrophedon" falls short. It uses the orchestra to its full
potential, creating true music, powerful, deeply emotional, coherent in the
impactful listening experience it creates. Bill Dixon manages to create a wide
array of musical emotions through playing with music's endless possibilities,
while at the same time touching upon the tragedy of Darfur. This is a strong and
powerful musical statement. And it is infinitely sad.

More:
-----
By Michael G. Nastos 
http://www.allmusic.com/album/17-musicians-in-search-of-a-sound-darfur-r1389425

By Nic Jones 
http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=29598

By Jason Bivins 
http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/4369

Por José Francisco "Pachi" Tapiz 
http://bun.tomajazz.com/2008/07/veteranos-en-la-brecha-iii-bill-dixon.html