Imagine the Sound

Archie Shepp / Bill Dixon - Peace (BYG 196?, recorded 1962)

Yesterday, on my way from work I was listening to Archie Shepp and Bill Dixon's record Peace and noticed that what really makes it such a great record is the rhythm section. Or really the way the two lead men play against the rhythm section.

The record starts off with staccato melody from the leads—syncopated harmonies, Dixon out in front with flourishes, Shepp playing every other note and mixing in sax-growls. Shepp's skipping of notes in the melody reminds me a bit of Steve Lacy & Don Cherry's version of Thelonius Monk's "Evidence." Right off the bat the rhythm section provides the propulsion for the song: Paul Cohen lays down a tinkling metronome on the drums that accents the On/Off feel of the melody with three beats of symbol play followed by three full of snare. Don Moore alternates between two heavily plucked chords. Bludgeoning his bass from the sound of it. Really beating it and getting such a thick sound.

But then the melody tapers off and the end of the opening is signaled by one last heavy pluck from Moore. The song sets into its groove: Shepp drops out (the song is called "Trio"), Cohen plays an unceasing cymbal tick with the occasional snare accent, and Moore changes tack completely, playing a fast and funky walking bass line that is changed up occasionally for heavy beating of the bass and some high end frills. The rhythm section reminds me a lot of Ornette Coleman's "Friends and Neighbors" (a record that's also been on my turntable a lot lately). The momentum of the rhythm section in Coleman's song allows the chorus to sing a sloppy, playful pop song; here it allows Dixon to play a slow, clean solo full of drawn-out, austere notes. Shepp pops up a little ways into the solo, first grumbling and growling, like a little kid complaining he's not being heard, and then peeping a really catchy riff, like he's goating Dixon into quickening his pace. And Dixon responds: Shepp stops, Dixon plays a couple last long notes and then starts again, this time overblown and quicker.

Dixon ends his solo and drops out, Cohen reduces his playing down to a ringing ride, and Moore is back to alternating chords; then Shepp enters with barely-audible breathy growls. He proceeds to lay down one really soulful solo. He takes advantage of everyone nearly dropping out but Moore, and starts off really busy, nearly covering the full range of his sax. He brings the pace of the song up, not by making it faster, but by packing more notes into the measure. Moore catches up, playing harder, jumping around more. Cohen comes back in with much less subtlety, adding more snare, many more accents. Dixon comes in now and then, as Shepp did during his solo, but in juxtaposition to Shepp's accompaniment to his solo, he adds drawn out background notes to Shepp's chaos. It builds and builds and then it ends. Everyone comes together again to play the melody and then seems to collapse from exhaustion.

I don't wish to dissect every song and I think I've already said too much, so I think I'll just leave the rest of the record to be discovered without description.

I'm surprised that the recordings don't seem to be available anymore. The record was originally on Savoy, but the copy I have is on BYG. I'm surprised that whichever label is up to all the BYG/Actuel reissues hasn't hit this one yet. I've seen mention of a Savoy CD, but the Savoy Jazz website, Amazon, nor the internet in general turns up info on its availability. But there is another release: a split LP of the Bill Dixon 7-tette and Archie Shepp with the New York Contemporary 5, which is really good, but doesn't have Shepp and Dixon on any tracks together.

Shepp and Dixon both played in Cecil Taylor's group in the 60s appearing on some of his records, but never at the same time: Shepp was in the group briefly in 1960, and Dixon for a short while in the middle of the 60s. The only recording I know of them together is this record. An amazing record.