Silly jazz musicians and their general reliance on so-called “traditional” instruments! You’d figure that a genre so conducive to improvisation would find more of its participants willing to indulge the synthesis revolution that came about in the 70s. But nope; the Miami-born and New York-nurtured (beginning in 1966) Bruce Ditmas was one of seemingly few within the scene to fully embrace the new tech while simultaneously boosting his capital-J Jazz bonafides.
For instance, the rarely-incorporated Moog 1130 Drum Controller was the novel instrument of choice for the otherwise-drummer, and it features prominently on the two solo LPs that Ditmas released in 1977, Aeray Dust and Yellow. Those two albums would mark the rough propulsion of an international career playing “normal” drums for “normal” jazz bands, though an interest in synthesis and experimentation did persist concurrently.
And if you’re looking for proof that Ditmas hasn’t just out “urban-frolicking” with Gil Evans, Paul Bley, or Dino Saluzzi since that period? Look no further than the newly-minted 10” album, entitled Visioni Sconvolgenti, which has just been released courtesy of Finders Keepers and Demdike’s Stare’s Dead-Cert label. The record, “pressed up in an edition of 500 copies with artwork by Andy Votelis,” is an occasionally frightening summation of the experiments that Ditmas has been engaged in over the last three decades, wherein “percussive manipulation” combine with field recording techniques to create something that sounds surprisingly modern. Gee, I hope I can follow this new guy on Twitter!
Head over to Boomkat for samples/a realized purchasing ability…and check out “L’Unita” from the aforementioned Yellow down below.
Visioni Sconvolgenti tracklisting:
01. Incubo
02. Reparto Totura
03. Il terrore a luce verde
04. Visioni Sconvolgenti
05. Bruciore Pelle
06. Sega della morte
More about: Bruce Ditmas
