Arthur Blythe - Synergy

Styles: Saxophone Jazz
Year: 1996
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 52:58
Size: 122,5 MB
Art: Front

( 6:28)  1. Morning Call
( 5:29)  2. Earth Tones
( 5:42)  3. Synergy
( 4:57)  4. Time Circles
( 3:21)  5. Infinity
( 4:56)  6. Afternoon Musings
( 5:05)  7. Sociability
( 4:58)  8. Walking Line
(11:56)  9. Night Scape

Throughout his career, Arthur Blythe has appeared with a wide variety of instrumentation, always willing to try new ensemble sounds. On this date, Blythe is teamed in a trio with the talented cellist David Eyges and the flexible drummer Bruce Ditmas. Blythe's bluesy and soulful tone, along with his ability to caress a melody, makes his adventurous flights more accessible than one might expect. David Eyges holds the group together by playing both supportive basslines (although obviously in a higher register) and soloing along with Blythe, while Bruce Ditmas keeps the momentum of the music flowing. All nine selections on the date were co-composed by the three musicians, so it is quite possible that they are largely free improvisations. However, the interplay between the players, the gradual development of the often fiery performances, and the strong (and sometimes joyful) melodies that pop up are so coherent that the music sounds as if it were more planned in advance than it probably was. Well worth checking out. ~ Scott Yanow https://www.allmusic.com/album/synergy-mw0000040090

Personnel:  Alto Saxophone – Arthur Blythe;  Cello – David Eyges;  Drums – Bruce Ditmas

Synergy

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Bruce Ditmas - Aeray Dust

Styles: Free Jazz, Fusion
Year: 1977
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 34:41
Size: 80,7 MB
Art: Front

(6:34)  1. Aeray Dust
(7:19)  2. Side Looking Radar Image
(3:57)  3. Terminal Velocity
(7:08)  4. Face To Face To Face
(2:48)  5. Tactics Of Despair
(6:53)  6. Thats The Way It Is

Bruce Ditmas (born December 12, 1946) is an American jazz drummer and percussionist. Ditmas was born in Atlantic City but grew up in Miami; his father was a trumpeter in Miami big bands. He studied with Tony Crisetello and then with Stan Kenton at Indiana University and Michigan State University in the early 1960s. After a stint with Ira Sullivan (1962–64), he accompanied singers including Judy Garland, Barbra Streisand, Della Reese, Leslie Uggams, and Sheila Jordan between 1964 and 1970. He moved to New York City in 1966. In the 1970s Ditmas played on Broadway Promises..Promises...then with Joe Newman (1971), Jazz Interactions Orchestra (1971), Gil Evans (1971–77), Enrico Rava (from 1971), Stardrive, Atmospheres, Future Shock (1972), New Wilderness Preservation Band (1972–73), Paul Bley, Lee Konitz, Jaco Pastorius Pat Metheny, Chet Baker (1974–75), and Stan Getz (1975). Later in the 1970s he concentrated on solo performance, including experiments with drum machines. He returned to work with the Evans Orchestra from 1979 to 1985, and lived in Italy in 1986-87, where he played with Dino Saluzzi, Rava, Rita Marcotulli, and Pietro Tonolo. He played with his own trio D3 with Jack DeSalvo and Tony DeCicco from 1988. D3 released Spontaneous Combustion on the Tutu label. In the 1990s he played with Pat Hall and Karl Berger among others. D3 reformed in 2008 and is currently performing as the D3 Standards Trio. In 1990, Ditmas orchestrated the music to an opera by Patricia Burgess, The Dream of Four Directions. He also composed prolifically for film and television; among his credits is the film Deathscape. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Ditmas

Personnel:  Drums, Drum Machine [Moog Drum], Percussion – Bruce Ditmas;  Trumpet – Enrico Rava;  Voice, Percussion – Joan La Barbara

Aeray Dust

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Bruce Ditmas - What If

Styles: Free Jazz, Fusion  
Year: 1999
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 59:54
Size: 138,8 MB
Art: Front

(10:12)  1. Island Seven
(10:21)  2. What If
( 7:52)  3. Clever Conversation
( 3:19)  4. 3348 Big Easy:  Deep Blue Sleep
( 7:18)  5. 3348 Big Easy:  Thursday Nite Special
( 4:09)  6. 3348 Big Easy:  Voodoo Street Beat
( 8:00)  7. Pulp
( 3:46)  8. Power Surge
( 4:54)  9. Don't Wake Me

Drummer Bruce Ditmas’ wish list comes to fruition on the 1995 “Postcards” release titled, What If. Among the noteworthy crop of re-releases from Arkadia Records who now own the Postcards catalogue is this mind boggling work featuring a who’s who of modern jazz stylists such as pianist Paul Bley, bassist Dominic Richards, saxophonist Sam Rivers and guitarist John Abercrombie. According to the liners, Ditmas handed Postcards something similar to a Christmas want-list as they proceeded to round up these consummate and highly influential jazz musicians. On What If Ditmas slashes and burns while boasting a booming, resonant sound as he provides the thunderous intro for pianist Paul Bley on the opener, “Island Seven”. Here and throughout, Ditmas engages complex polyrhythms in effortless fashion as he provides the enormous pulse behind Abercrombie’s angular and somewhat ferocious attack, which rekindles memories of his now classic ECM release, “Timeless”. The title track, “What If” is electrically charged and proceeds at a feverish pace as the great Sam Rivers’ sinewy and explosive tenor sax work along with the forceful rhythms and turbo charged interplay among the bandmates offers something which borders fusion and modern jazz. Paul Bley stretches out in elegant fashion on “Clever Conversations” while Ditmas and Richards employ a relentless rhythmic assault. Unadulterated intensity provided by Abercrombie’s signature and somewhat manic guitar stylizations along with the muscular rhythmic assault are prevalent factors on the barnburner titled, “Pulp”. On “Power Surge”, the heat continues while “Don’t Wake Up” is ethereal and dreamy thanks to Bley’s colorful and textural articulations on synthesizer along with his pensive or somewhat dirge-like acoustic piano work. A fitting finale to an unyielding and explosive affair! Upon its original release, What If received critical praise and accolades and justifiably so as it becomes rather obvious from the onset that Ditmas was geared up for this date. What If offers a potpourri of modern/free-jazz, fusion and takes off into the stratosphere to some unknown destination, as the men only know one way, which is straight ahead with no looking back. * * * * ½ ~ Glenn Astarita https://www.allaboutjazz.com/what-if-bruce-ditmas-postcards-review-by-glenn-astarita.php

Personnel: Bruce Ditmas; Drums: John Abercrombie; Guitars: Paul Bley; Piano & Synthesizers: Dominic Richards; Bass: Sam Rivers; Tenor & Soprano Saxophone.

What If

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