Reinvention

The Dixon-Rhyne Project combines musicians of vastly different eras to play contemporary danceable funky music. Rising star tenor saxophonist Rob Dixon has learned his lessons from the hard, post- and neo-bop masters well, carving a voice that borrows from many sources, and is attaining distinction. Organist Melvin Rhyne, best known for his work with fellow Indianapolis jazz legend Wes Montgomery, has been living quietly in Milwaukee for many years, and has built a discography of fine straight-ahead and soul-jazz efforts for the Criss Cross label. With the excellent Chicago guitarist Fareed Haque and backbeat drummer Kenny Phelps, the band forges a monochromatic and predictable but engaging sound to build a repertoire upon. It is not so much reinvention as it is a reimagining. Basic tunes such as "Repub Club" and the title track toe the youth oriented line, while "Mind's Eye" is woven in intricate detail with Haque's wah-wah guitar adding a psychedelic tinge. The road song "Johannesburg" (not Gil Scott-Heron's) brings Rhyne back to his salad days with Montgomery. There's a medium-well done funky version of Kenny Burrell's classic "Chitlins con Carne" a tenor/guitar tandem line for "Fantastic Prizes" with overdubbed rhythm guitar, and on two selections, a tabla drum added, and Rhyne playing the mini-Moog synthesizer on occasion. Dixon is a wonderfully fluid player, able to twist and shout melody lines with equal aplomb. At times the melodic development is lacking, and on other occasions the rhythms plod along, the tendency for too many cooks spoiling the broth turning the music tiresome and cliche. But the general profile on the date is that of fun and good times, an aspect that cannot be discounted. ~ Michael G. Nastos