Whit Dickey Quartet - Root Perspectives (2022)

Drummer Whit Dickey guides a formidable new quartet through deep waters on 'Root Perspectives'.

As he states, "I get into music not just by playing but by accessing a vibration." This work gets to the heart of what he means by that elliptical phrase. It is released on his TAO Forms label, which since its 2020 founding has released some of the freshest material in recent memory, including James Brandon Lewis' poll-winning 'Jesup Wagon', and Dickey's own highly inspired works, 'Expanding Light' and 'Astral Long Form: Staircase in Space'.

On 'Root Perspectives' - recorded the day after releasing 'Astral Long Form' in May 2022: "I conceived this album off of a vibration that I felt while obsessively listening to the title composition of Coltrane's Crescent," he recalls. "I tried to rhythmically anticipate each instrument of the classic quartet while keying into the central mantra/vibration. I began to hear how each instrument embodied the mantra in subtly different ways. On this album, my plan was to tap into the drum part of that mantra, and let the quartet rise from there." The sound and energy of a tenor-based quartet was a logical choice, and this presents the first encounter between Dickey and saxophonist Tony Malaby - who brought determined grit and fire to the session, along with Matthew Shipp - one of Dickey's closest associates, and the youngest of the group - agile and inventive bassist Brandon Lopez.

By deeply tuning in to cosmic vibrations, the Tao, and the players assembled around him, Dickey has found a musical centre that grows more profound with each passing year.

"Every gesture and nuance of [Dickey's] percussive pronunciation is telling." -JazzTimes

Tony Malaby: tenor saxophone
Matthew Shipp: piano
Brandon Lopez: bass
Whit Dickey: drums