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D.D. Jackson

Paired Down - Volume One

Label: Justin Time | Jazz | April 25, 1997

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Credits

Billy Bang
violin (on track 09)

Hamiet Bluiett
baritone saxophone (on tracks 07 and 08)

James Carter
c melody saxophone (on track 01) and tenor saxophone (on track 03)

Santi Debriano
acoustic bass (on track 04)

D.D. Jackson
piano

David Murray
tenor saxophone (on track 10)

Hugh Ragin
trumpet (on tracks 02, 05 and 06)

Production Credits

Tracks

No
Title
Duration
Excerpts
01
Rhythm And Things
00:04:46
ogg      mp3      
02
Ballad For Miles
00:08:28
ogg      mp3      
03
Reflections
00:07:15
ogg      mp3      
04
Chick-isms
00:04:48
05
Fanfare And Fiesta
00:06:09
06
Subliminal Messages
00:04:24
07
African Dreams
00:09:38
08
For Don
00:06:58
09
Bang's Dream
00:06:00
10
Easy
00:05:52

Liner Notes

A few days after the two volumes of Paired Down were recorded, a "prominent conservative New York-based jazz writer" (who shall remain nameless) walked into the club where I had just finished the final set with violinist Billy Bang's Quartet, and the first words out of his mouth were: "Hey Billy, still playing out of tune?" If he had arrived ten minutes earlier, he would have heard one of the most brilliant music makers on the planet at the top of his creative game. In an entirely ad-libbed, "free association" solo, Billy proceeded to call upon all manners of tradition, experience and just plain "craziness". He evoked the blues. He emitted squeaks and cries and squawks from his instrument one would never have thought possible. And at one particularly inspired moment, he went about the room, using the various "room props" at his disposal - the bar stool, the picture frame, the table - as sound inspiration for his at-the-moment evocation.

So here it was, ten minutes later, and now all this critic could think to ask was a question regarding Billy's tuning? The only response I could think of was "well, when Billy was tapping the picture frame he might have been a little flat". Clearly someone who had missed the point of Billy's playing, which isn't about technical perfection (though he certainly has achieved this, in his own way), or playing "correctly" or "swinging" (though he does these things, and then some, in his own way, as well) according to some stuffy textbook definition of what jazz is and isn't supposed to be. Billy's playing is about the spirit of giving your all; the ability to play consistently on the edge, ever-taking chances, dealing with the pain and joy of his own life experience in an often achingly beautiful, or achingly painful way. It is about true inspiration, forged with awareness of tradition and his own past. And in doing all of these things, it is about playing a music that goes beyond simple categorization, playing a music that can only best be described as "Bang Music".

It is this type of forceful, iconoclastic voice that is at the heart of why I wanted to put this project together. In addition to exploring the more "pared down" texture and intimate interaction that inherently occurs in a duo setting, I set out with this project to choose only those players whom I regard as among the absolute top on their instruments in terms of possessing a personal and original voice, just the type of individuality that these same artists lament has been lost in today's "young lion" jazz age. Often these artists reminisce of a time not too long ago when it was considered an asset to present one's own sound in, for example, a New York jam session situation; now they speak of a mood in which performers who do not adhere to a certain "code" or "canon" of what jazz is supposed to be are frowned upon.

The irony is that the majority of my favorite musicians, including those on this album, have no less respect for the jazz tradition - if anything, these artists are celebrating what I consider to be the true spirit of jazz, in that they are actually building upon what has come before instead of merely trying to imitate it; they are reaching out with an open mind to try and create new forms of expression and to find new sources of inspiration instead of adhering to some narrow jazz definitions; and, ultimately, they are forging their own "Bang Music", a readily identifiable voice, system of expression, and body of work. By doing these things, they are adding to the jazz language as a whole and allowing the music to continue to move forward (which is, after all, the direction I thought the music was supposed to be heading in the first place).

Of course my goal, too, is the establishment of my own personal voice. And if I can, in my work, achieve a fraction of the "Bang Music" that many of the following artists have accomplished, I will consider myself extremely fortunate.

James Carter is a modern jazz phenomenon, and the ease with which he plays his numerous axes is almost frightening. I first heard him in a record store while shopping for CDs - the opening refrains of his tune "J.C. On The Set" stopped me cold. Here, finally, was someone of my younger generation who was really taking chances, really trying to push boundaries. I followed his career the next couple of years with interest, and was fortunate to finally get the opportunity to play with him at the 1996 Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, where I appeared as his special guest in a television special taped for Bravo. The tune we performed was - you guessed it - "J.C. On The Set", and it got me thinking about ways of exploring the rhythm changes format further with him, perhaps pushing things more and playing in a more interactive way than was possible within the context of his own group. With this duo session, I got the opportunity, with my own tune "Rhythm And Things", in which he "dusted off" a C Melody sax for the occasion (since the piece was, after all, in the key of C - why make things difficult for yourself when you can play all reeds with seemingly equal facility? I, as well as a ballad I wrote entitled "Reflections".

Hugh Ragin is one of the world's great jazz trumpet players - a true unsung hero who has quietly managed to achieve a wonderful conceptual pairing of a pure, listenable classical tone with a true cutting edge, adventurous spirit. He has toured and recorded with Maynard Ferguson, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton and others, but is probably best known as a regular member of David Murray's Octet. Over the last couple of years as members of David's group, Hugh and I have had numerous opportunities to slide into ad lib, duo textures, and it was in this context that I first realized what a great musical rapport the two of us had and began thinking about making Hugh part of this duo project. What I wasn't aware of until the session was Hugh's great skills as a composer, and, as well, two of his compositions - "Ballad For Miles" and "Fanfare And Fiesta" - are featured on this date, to complement the piece I brought in for him to play entitled "Subliminal Messages".

Santi Debriano to me has one of the most wonderfully full and lyrical, yet technically facile sounds in jazz bass. Although a respected leader and composer in his own right with several albums to his credit, I came to know him initially for the work he did as a sideman in Don Pullen's trio back in 1990. This connection recently became bittersweet when we were both called on by David Murray to participate in a "Tribute To Don Pullen" album for DIW, following Don's untimely death due to cancer, and it was here that I think we really began to develop a musical rapport, and where I first began thinking of him for this duo album. Santi's playing, I think, is a reflection of the rhythms of his native Panama and of Afro-Latin music in general, combined with the jazz sounds of New York. For Vol. I, I chose my tune "Chick-isms" (dedicated to another influence on me, Chick Corea), to try to explore those Latin and jazz aspects of both his and my playing.

Hamiet Bluiett and I both vaguely recall first being introduced to each other by Don Pullen several years ago. Hamiet and Don also worked together as members of Mingus' great band of the early 70's, and later on in the context of Hamiets own groups. I also became re-acquainted with Hamiet through his work with David Murray - I have long admired the World Saxophone Quartet of which he and David were founding members - and I finally had the chance in the last couple of years to "hang" with Hamiet in the context of David's big band, and later on, when we were both members of trombonist Craig Harris's group The Jhetto, in Europe. It takes just one note to identify Hamiet's full, earthy, expressive baritone sound, and for this project I couldn't think of a more appropriate showcase for this sound, given our history, than a tune I dedicated to Don Pullen after his death, entitled "For Don".

The only other comment about Billy Bang concerns the composition "Bang's Dream": I am often envious of composers who claim they are repeatedly inspired by music they hear in their dreams. In the case of this tune, I finally had my first (and perhaps only?) dream-inspired musical experience - in the dream, Billy Bang was essentially playing the melody, which became the basis for this tune (so if you don't like the tune, blame Billy...).

Finally, tenor sax legend David Murray, one of the most important figures in jazz today (and someone in who's band I often appear) has been a source of almost constant inspiration to me as a performer, composer, arranger and bandleader. I will write more about David in Vol. II where he is more heavily featured, but for now I will simply say that I could think of no more appropriate a closing to this album than David's rich, soulful sound, in this case on a composition of mine entitled "Easy".

Six different artists, six distinct, forceful voices, each with his own, personal "Bang Music" - I hope you enjoy "Paired Down, Vol. I". (Vol. II features Ray Anderson, Don Byron and Jane Bunnett along with more from David Murray, Santi Debriano and Billy Bang ...)

D.D. Jackson, February, 1997