Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
In Memoriam: John Hammond Jr., 1942–2026
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
On June 24, Arts For Art, in cooperation with AUM Fidelity, will release trumpeter Bill Dixon’s 17 Musicians In Search Of A Sound: Darfur, the first recording of all original orchestral music released under his name since 1967’s Intents And Purposes.
This live concert recording is the second in a series of three CDs documenting commissioned performances from Vision Festival XII in 2007. The series includes the Roy Campbell Ensemble’s Akhenaten Suite, released on March 11, and William Parker’s orchestral recording, Double Sunrise Over Neptune, due in August.
Dixon’s hour-long work, separated into 13 tracks on the recording, was commissioned as part of the Vision Festival’s celebration of his role as an organizer, educator, musician and inspiration for the festival and events of its kind. Dixon developed the new composition with the orchestra through three days of intensive rehearsals and further sculpted the music through conduction during its June 20 performance. He selected each member of the ensemble, which featured a cast of seasoned improvisers, many of whom have collaborated with him for more than 20 years.
The Bill Dixon Orchestra features Dixon, trumpet and electronics; Karen Borca, bassoon; Taylor Ho Bynum, cornet/flugelhorn; Will Connell, bass clarinet; Michel Côté, B-flat contrabass clarinet; Joseph Daley, tuba; Andrew Raffo Dewar, soprano saxophone; Dick Griffin, tenor trombone; John Hagen, tenor and baritone saxophones; Graham Haynes, Stephen Haynes, cornet/flugelhorn; Jackson Krall, drums and percussion; Andrew Lafkas, double bass; Glynis Loman, cello; JD Parran, bass saxophone and bamboo flute; Warren Smith, vibes, tympani and drums; and Steve Swell, tenor trombone.
More info: bill-dixon.com
Hammond came to the blues through the folk boom of the late 1950s and early 1960s, which he experienced firsthand in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Mar 2, 2026 9:58 PM
John P. Hammond (aka John Hammond Jr.), a blues guitarist and singer who was one of the first white American…
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