Life Rays is an album by vibraphonist Walt Dickerson, bassist Sirone, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. Dickerson's final release, it was recorded in Italy in 1982 for the Soul Note label.[1][2][3]

Life Rays
Studio album by
Released1982
RecordedFebruary 4–5, 1982
StudioBarigozzi Studios, Milan, Italy
GenreJazz
Length45:45
LabelSoul Note
SN 121 028
ProducerGiovanni Bonandrini
Walt Dickerson chronology
To My Son
(1978)
Life Rays
(1982)
Sirone chronology
Artistry
(1979)
Life Rays
(1982)
Sirone's Concord
(2003)

Reception edit

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings    [5]

AllMusic gave the album 3 stars.[4]

The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "In the dynamic company of Sirone and Cyrille, Walt emerges as a particular kind of modernist, a radical-conservative... Dickerson seems to be striking harder than usual, Cyrille is faultless and the music has a strongly percussive quality. Sirone is magnificent whenever soloing..."[5]

Writing for JazzTimes, Duck Baker commented that Dickerson's "conception of melodic/percussive development is really his own. He may at times sound impressionistic, as when he creates such long shimmering lines that they cease to be heard as lines and become a sonic waterfall, but it’s not just a pretty thing." Regarding Sirone and Cyrille, he stated: "The context calls for the utmost in understatement and controlled passion, and even staunch fans of these two may be surprised at how well they answer the call."[6]

Track listing edit

All compositions by Walt Dickerson except where noted.

  1. "No Ordinary Man" – 9:02
  2. "Good Relationship" – 13:37
  3. "Life Rays" – 4:42
  4. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 18:06

Personnel edit

References edit

  1. ^ Soul Note Records main series discography accessed March 29, 2017
  2. ^ Fitzgerald, M., Walt Dickerson discography accessed March 29, 2017
  3. ^ CAM Jazz accessed March 29, 2017
  4. ^ a b AllMusic listing accessed March 29, 2017
  5. ^ a b Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 373. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  6. ^ Baker, Duck (May 1, 1998). "Walt Dickerson/Sirone/Andrew Cyrille: Life Rays". Jazz Times. Retrieved March 25, 2022.