Toronto-based pianist Brian Dickinson explores the “quintet with a two sax front line” on The Rhythm Method. He takes his lead from the somewhat overlooked pianist/conceptualist Lennie Tristano, who broke the ground with his historic 1949 Capitol Sessions featuring Lee Konitz on alto sax and Warne Marsh on tenor sax; and with his 1956 recordings with Marsh and Ted Brown, both on tenor.

The set opens on Wayne Shorter’s “Orion,” featuring a sparkling extended solo by Dickenson that brings Shorter’s collaborations with Herbie Hancock to mind, while alto saxophonist Luis Deniz stretches his lines, a la Lee Konitz, and tenor sax man Kelly Jefferson blows with a sharper, more powerhouse diction.

“Bon Voyage, ” a tune brimming with a floating loveliness, unrolls from the like a silken fabric from a smooth-rolling spool, with bassist Neil Swainson and drummer Ted Warren cushioning the rhythm with a nuanced grace. “‘Tude” is more propulsive, popping and snapping, with a relentless verve.

“The Rhythm Method Suite” makes up the disc’s last five turns. It serves as a spirited and exploratory tribute to the Tristano/Marsh school of music making—a cool, relaxed school that never has gone out of style, even if its roots aren’t as acknowledged as they perhaps should be. And the group makes it seem so effortless—the circuitous piano solos, the flexible rhythms, the saxophone conversations—on this set of first rate compositions (all from Dickinson’s pen), giving a classic, time-tested approach a compellingly beautiful, modern shine.

 

Dan McClenaghan, AllAboutJazz
Published on: January 14, 2017
View Original Article

Ballads – Brian Dickinson
Modica Music

Although I have not had the good fortune to perform with the great pianist Brian Dickinson often, I do remember one opportunity in Vancouver that was both memorable and instructive. Between tunes, the band fielded questions from an audience that was comprised largely of music students. After one particularly inspired cascading passage of improvised up-tempo 16th notes by Dickinson, a student asked the Canadian pianist how he approached these sorts of speedy extemporizations. His answer, which was both practical and hilariously banal, was that one should take all the musical language that one knows how to do using eighth notes and simply play them twice as fast. I have learned a lot from Brian over the years, both as a colleague at work, but also by listening to him play live, and I found this advice to be eminently prudent.

I was reminded of this exchange while enjoying Dickinson’s terrific new recording Ballads, which features nine gorgeous solo piano pieces recorded on a beautiful Yamaha C7 during the COVID lockdown of 2020. I wondered if Dickinson would describe playing solo piano as like playing with a rhythm section, but only without one. Although I have not asked Brian about this, I imagine that the answer would be “no.” As is evident on this recommended 2023 release, Dickinson is fulfilling many roles as a solo pianist, coaxing forward the expansive and expressive range of the instrument as only an artist of his level of accomplishment is capable. The entire listening experience is pleasurable. Dickinson plays with the dependable greatness that jazz fans have come to expect from him, and the fact that this recording is a touching dedication to the late great jazz vocalist and educator Shannon Gunn makes it all the more special.

 

Andrew Scott, theWholeNote
Published on: 02 April 2024
View Original Article

Still WatersChemistry is the key to performance by a duo – particularly if the instruments are flugelhorn and piano.
If you walked in on a gig by horn man Kenny Wheeler and pianist Brian Dickinson, you might think, “Damn, the bass player didn’t show up.” If you listen to any track on their new collaboration, Still Waters, you will not voice such concerns. The musical experience is complete; no element is missing. Wheeler’s ideas and timbre are outstanding, and they receive instinctive support from Dickinson’s keyboard.

Each track is carefully sculptured: four originals by Dickinson; five by Wheeler. Each tune seems more beautiful than the other one does: gorgeous, expansive melodies with unexpected intervals; equally surprising harmonic patterns. To choose a favorite would be an exercise in futility. Not until the out chorus of the final cut, “Gentle Piece,” is there a slight deviation from the format. Wheeler is suddenly “beside himself” with some meaningful, as opposed to flashy, overdubbing. Dickinson vamps on intros, setting the mood and pulse. But these guys are so fluid with time, who needed that bassist anyway?
You’d never know that there is a generation gap between these two Canadians. Their writing, phrasing, and gap filling are so mutual in concept and execution, they seem to be joined at the hip. You know how “hip” here is meant, eh?
Harvey Siders, JazzTimes

The art on the cover immediately brings to mind Monet, and the serene music inside fulfills the impression. Dickinson on piano creates beautiful pools of sound, and Wheeler on trumpet graces the moving surfaces with light and colour. Some of the titles refer directly to nature: “Still Waters,” “Winter Suite,” “Spring Sprung In,” and “Springs Eternal.” Others evoke a warm humanism: “Kind Folk,” “Remembrance for MP,” “Gentle Piece.” The pervading mood is very calm, yet the music is always fresh and flowing. This is a gorgeous, happy, vibrant record by master musicians.
Brian Rutz, Planet Jazz

With fellow Canadian Dickinson attentive at the piano, Wheeler’s distinctive flugelhorn sounds still more eloquent. The music on Still Waters is graceful and beautifully balanced, technically accomplished and pervaded by controlled emotion.
Julian Cowley, The Wire

Soul MissionTHE BRIAN DICKINSON QUINTET
Soul Mission
Elan Jazz EJ1001

Not to my surprise, last week I received a cd from Ontario. It is an album entitled: “Soul Mission”. What is extraordinary, is that it is the BRIAN DICKINSON QUARTET. Does that say something to you?

Brian Dickinson – Piano, Jerry Bergonzi – Sax Tenor, Jim Vivian – Bass, Ted Warren – Drums

Knowing that Mr. Bergonzi (who is considered at present by several, one of the best sax players on the international scene) made party of this quartet, there is no doubt that “Soul Mission” is of a credibility to all tests. You will thus understand that it is enough abassourdissant to receive the material of musicians of this staure. It’s required of me to listen to their sampling and to review it. Wait,wait! What did I choose you think? The eight pieces that one finds here are the fruit of five years work carried out by Dickinson (of Toronto) and Bergonzi (of Boston), but curiously the recording lasted only four hours. This large work was entirely prepared. Soul Mission contains besides, only original compositions. Jim Warren on his side, is known to have taken part in several jam sessions in Montreal. One told me the same thing of Jim Vivian. The genius of Dickinson Quartet is surely in its rhytmic section. The centre piece in my opinion, is in position 7 on the album and it is entitled “Crazy Makers”, where one can feel fluidity between the ideas, the emotion and dexterity. Absolutely a delight for the ears. I give them a mark of 10 out of 10 on the prize list. Here is a well deserved success!!!
Karolyn Verville
LES AMIS DE LA BOITE – Jazz E-Zine

Not every jazz musician moves to New York City. Many very talented players enrich the local scenes of cities around the world. Pianist Brian Dickinson is an integral part of Toronto’s deep pool of gifted musicians. Tenor saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi made a very successful move to New York City in the early seventies but eventually moved back to his native Boston where he continues to teach, play locally and tour. One of the places he travels to on these tours is Toronto, where he often joins forces with Brian Dickinson at clubs like the Top O’ the Senator. Soul Mission is a collaboration between the bright, sparkling piano playing of Dickinson and the dense, meaty tone of Bergonzi, on a set of bop-derived modern jazz that owes a lot to the music of Sonny Rollins and early John Coltrane. The music consists entirely of original material written by either Dickinson or Bergonzi. Bergonzi finds his compositional inspiration in the vast vocabulary of hard bop, while Dickinson writes darker, more harmonically daring pieces of music. The rhythm section of drummer Ted Warren and bassist Jim Vivian builds a solid yet flexible rhythmic backdrop for Dickinson and Bergonzi to solo against, as well as contributing several tight, wonderfully restrained solos of their own. The liner notes to Soul Mission tell us that this particular group completed an engagement at a local club just before recording this CD. The musicians are obviously comfortable with and confident in each other’s playing, which creates an atmosphere of cohesiveness that is reflected in this very solid set of mainstream jazz.
Reviewed by Neil Henden – PLANET JAZZ MAGAZINE – Winter/Spring 2004

This is Brian Dickinson’s 5th album as a leader and is a collaboration with the Boston saxophonist, Jerry Bergonzi. You may have caught them at one of their appearances at the Top O’ the Senator and if so, you already know how well they perform together. They are accompanied by local stalwarts Jim Vivian on bass and Ted Warren, drums. The material consists of originals by the two principals and they each contribute four compositions. The material is interesting and a good and varied mix of energy and introspection; given the talents involved, it comes as no surprise that they are beautifully played. It may have been my mood of the moment, but I particularly enjoyed Dickinson’s Delaware Daze and Sam’s Song, while Soul Mission and Tribute by Bergonzi stood the test of multiple plays. Just as an aside, and I don’t know if there was an influence in his formative years, but Brian’s playing on the first chorus of Pardon Me had, for me, a Horace Silverish feel to it. The playing throughout is of a high caliber – there are no passengers on board – and the recording quality is excellent. All in all, a very satisfying CD of contemporary acoustic music.
Reviewed by Jim Galloway – WHOLE NOTE MAGAZINE – September 2003

When Boston tenorman Jerry Bergonzi comes to town, he always links up with one of the city’s leading pianists in Dickinson, and a week’s Senator gig was the warmup for this recording. Bassist Jim Vivian and drummer Ted Warren are also on hand for the eight long tracks, four each by the talented leader and his American guest. Everyone gets more than the Andy Warhol allotment in the spotlight and overall the music is calm, with Bergonzi forsaking his cut-and-thrust careening through ideas from the John Coltrane production line. He mostly plays serenely and inventively, as on the title tune which also is a classic example of Dickinson’s logical, focussed approach. All hustle on cuts like “Pardon Me” and “Splurge,” Warren is in particular hearty shape and Bergonzi is as fluent as ever but gets spooky on “Tribute.” The best track, “Crazy Matters,” lets this seasoned grouping scoot through some labrynthine passages with verve.
Reviewed by Geoff Chapman
Thursday, July 3, 2003
The Toronto Star

Around the BendWe are going to start our reviews off with Brian Dickinson and Ted Quinlan’s “Around the Bend”. Released by Addo Records in the fall of 2010, once you put this album in your car, its never coming out. Featuring Dickinson on the Piano, and Quinlan on the Guitar, the album presents compositions by both musicians respectively. One of our favourite songs on the album is “Vibrolux”, a composition by Quinlan, originally featured on his debut album “Streetscape” (review to come). Despite our love for the original recording, Dickinson adds a whole knew element to the piece with his piano playing. Like all the songs on the album, “Vibrolux” is well organized with Quinlan and Dickinson taking turns soloing and playing the rhythm. Another song on the album to note is “Love theme from “Sparticus””, a song originally composed by master pianist Bill Evans. Our favourite part of the song is the introduction, which begins with Dickinson on the piano. As the piano progresses, Quinlan joins in on the guitar creating a beautiful harmony that you may have to stop and rewind to listen to over and over. We believe that this album should be added to any jazz lover’s “must have” list. A link to the album on itunes can be found below. Ted and Brian, you two truly know how to make beautiful music.

The Canadian Jazz Review
Thursday, 22 March 2012View Original Article

Top Canadian Jazz CDs:

1.  Darren Sigesmund, Strands III (self-released)
2. Marianne Trudel, La vie commence ici (Justin Time)
3. Mike Murley / Reg Schwager / Steve Wallace, Looking Back (Cornerstone)
4. Steve Kaldestad, Straight Up! (Cellar Live)
5. Neil Swainson/Don Thompson, Tranquility (Cornerstone)
6. Brian Dickinson, Fishs Eddy (Addo Records)
7. Kevin Dean, Weather Permitting (Addo Records)
8. Kirk MacDonald, Vista Obscura (Addo Records)
9. Rich Brown, Between Heaviness and Here (Addo Records)
10. Jim Head, Zoetrope (self-released)
11. Roddy Ellias Trio, Monday’s Dream (self-released)
12. Dave Neill, Daylight (self released)

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
December 12, 20142014 Jazz List Bliss

Fishs EddyToronto pianist Brian Dickinson let more than two decades go by between the release of his two trio albums. In 1993, he put out the standards-heavy Live At The Senator. And while there have been duo, quartet and other discs in the years after, it wasn’t until last year that Dickinson, who is now in his mid-50s, released the studio trio CD Fishs Eddy. That impeccably recorded album was in the running for a Juno Award this year, and with good reason. It’s a rich and revealing collection of music from an assured and lucid pianist who could already burn in the early 1990s, but who’s in his prime now. Featuring Dickinson along with the A-list American bassist George Mraz and the young but mature-beyond-his-years Toronto drummer Ethan Ardelli, Fishs Eddy is a gorgeous and substantial listen. Between its two standards and six originals, the disc reflects the influence of two of Dickinson’s main heroes — Richie Beirach, who taught him for two years when Dickinson lived in the U.S., and Bill Evans, who informs some of Dickinson’s harmonic choices and echoes in his lyricism. The standards —  I Loves You Porgy, which opens the disc, and the mid-way track Never Let Me Go — are lush ballads that Evans notably elevated. Dickinson, Mraz and Ardelli do the great material proud. In the distinctive and finely wrought originals, you can often hear an appreciation of Beirach’s piquant, post-Evans harmonies. Mraz, who played with Beirach and recorded on some of his classic early 1980s albums, is a perfect fit on Fishs Eddy, and it seems as if Dickinson sought to maximize the bass great’s participation, assigning him arco lead duties on the theme of the waltzing pieces Delaware Daze and Limbo. On other tracks, it’s often Mraz’s commanding bass that takes the first solo. Other highlights include the straight-eighths title track, with its sunny and then knotty feels, and the surging piece Gateway. As compositions and performances, both expertly blend musical complexity and emotional directness. Dickinson recently told me that his next project will feature two saxophones, tenor saxophonist Kelly Jefferson and alto player Luis Deniz. “A Crosscurrents sort of band,” Dickinson wrote me, referring to pianist Evans’ 1978 album with hornmen Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. I have high hopes for this album, of course. But let’s hope that Dickinson doesn’t stall too long before putting out his third trio disc. As a composer and a player, he obviously flourishes in that format too.

Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: April 29, 2015View Original Artcile