Peace Planet & Box Of Light

Reviewed: 2019-10-16
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Peace Planet -&- Box of Light are a tremendous pair of brand new studio albums created by drummer-leader Whit Dickey together w/ two distinct yet interrelated Quartets. All involved here have long been deep seekers of truth through sound, and between them is a luminous web of deeply affecting work, which now spans decades. This pair of discs presents their very latest work together.
If You Like: Cyrille, Andrew, Henry Threadgill, Omar Sosa, David S. Ware
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
Peace Planet [CD1]
*1 ..Peace Planet .(10:06) - piano starts> uptempo off-kilter trio Jam> sax joins & wails> slows to slow tempo jam>slow fade
**2 ..Seventh Sun..(10:33) – bass starts> midtempo off-kilter jam swings uptempo> piano solo> slows into midtempo jam> builds in volume & intensity> quick fade
*3 .Ancient Monument .(9:54) – sax starts> slow tempo off-kilter jam builds to midtempo> crescendo> slow tempo jam> piano solo> slow jam slowly builds to midtempo> slow fade
4 ..Suite for DSW..(13:55) – sax solo starts hesitatingly with drums> swings into uptempo off-kilter jam> bass solo> fast tempo jam> drum solo to stop
5 ..Blossom Time. (8:58) – bass starts> midtempo off-kilter jam> crescendo> slow jam builds back to midtmpo> crescendo> slow piano trio jam> sax joins> snaky slow jam> slow fade

Matthew Shipp: piano
Rob Brown: alto saxophone
William Parker: bass
Whit Dickey: drums

Box of Light [CD2]
1 .Eye Opener. (4:16) – drums start> uptempo off-kilter jam> trombone solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> slows to fade
**2 .Ellipse: Passage Through. (7:23) – trombone starts> midtempo off-kilter jam builds to uptempo> sax solo>trombone solo> drum solo> bass solo> uptempo jam> quick stop
3 .Ethereality. (8:06) – sax starts> slow off-kilter jam builds to midtempo> bowed bass solo> heavy midtempo jam> fade
**4 .Box of Light... (12:50) – full band starts> midtempo jam> sax solo swings into uptempo jam like a herd of elephants> drum solo> sax solo> uptempo jam> drum solo> uptempo jam> crescendo & slow fade
***5 .Rotation Steps. (7:45) – horns start> midtempo off-kilter jam> bass solo> uptempo jam> trombone solo> sax solo> uptempo jam slows to stop
6 .Jungle Suite..(12:05) – sax starts> uptempo off-kilter jam> crescendo> pause> cymbal solo> slow bass solo> slow tempo jam with wild sounding horns> sax solo> slow jam> quick fade

Rob Brown: alto saxophone
Steve Swell: trombone
Michael Bisio: bass
Whit Dickey: drums