Bill Dixon's Soul Note exploration is typically thoughtful, introverted and often downbeat. Two duets on piano with bassist
Mario Pavone ("Silences For Jack Moore" and "Sumi-E") both put as much emphasis on space as on the sounds. The other pieces find
Dixon's tonal distortions on the trumpet often joined by moaning long tones from the tuba of
John Buckingham, the competing ideas of
Pavone and the often-fiery drums of
Laurence Cook. "Schema V1-88" uses a single sound as the basis for the group improvisation while other pieces feature the musicians reacting quite freely to each other. These lyrical explorations move forward without a pulse and, once one gets used to the "style" (or lack of), they reward repeated listenings. ~ Scott Yanow