Walt Dickerson • Impressions Of A Patch Of Blue

 

Review
by Steve Huey  
Impressions of a Patch of Blue was the second time Walt Dickerson recorded an album of rearranged movie soundtrack pieces, following his interpretations of material from Lawrence of Arabia. Starring Sidney Poitier, A Patch of Blue was about a star-crossed pair of interracial lovers, with the twist that Elizabeth Hartman's character also happened to be blind. More important to jazz fans, though, is that the album marked one of Sun Ra's extremely rare appearances as a sideman, playing both piano and harpsichord. And he turns in a masterful supporting performance behind Dickerson, putting his own indelible stamp on the proceedings without ever overwhelming them. Witness "Bacon and Eggs," where Dickerson repeats a melodic theme for most of the piece while Ra's unorthodox reharmonizations dance about in the background. Ra's harpsichord also provides some otherworldly cascades that seem to spark Dickerson's sense of freedom, particularly on part two of "A Patch of Blue" and "High Hopes." Dickerson's own playing is most evocative on the two parts of "Alone in the Dark"; during the first, he plays frantic, jittery phrases that mimic the speech patterns of panic, and in the second he favors quick, repetitive figures that fade away like echoes or unanswered calls for help. All of that is indicative of the level of imagination with which the project is carried out, which makes it a shame that Dickerson retired from performing for a full decade following its release, leaving Bobby Hutcherson to become the most important modernist vibes player of the latter half of the '60s. Verve's 1999 CD reissue of Impressions of a Patch of Blue was a very limited edition, so don't dawdle in picking this one up.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/impressions-of-a-patch-of-blue-mw0000247890

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Reseña
por Steve Huey  
Impressions of a Patch of Blue fue la segunda vez que Walt Dickerson grabó un álbum de piezas remezcladas de bandas sonoras de películas, tras sus interpretaciones del material de Lawrence de Arabia. Protagonizada por Sidney Poitier, A Patch of Blue trataba de una pareja de amantes interraciales, con la particularidad de que el personaje de Elizabeth Hartman también era ciego. Pero lo más importante para los aficionados al jazz es que el álbum marcó una de las escasísimas apariciones de Sun Ra como músico de acompañamiento, tocando tanto el piano como el clavicordio. Y lo hace de forma magistral, apoyando a Dickerson, imprimiendo su sello indeleble a la música sin abrumarla en ningún momento. Como en "Bacon and Eggs", donde Dickerson repite un tema melódico durante la mayor parte de la pieza mientras las rearmonizaciones poco ortodoxas de Ra bailan en el fondo. El clavicordio de Ra también proporciona algunas cascadas de otro mundo que parecen encender la sensación de libertad de Dickerson, particularmente en la segunda parte de "A Patch of Blue" y "High Hopes". La interpretación de Dickerson es más evocadora en las dos partes de "Alone in the Dark"; durante la primera, toca frases frenéticas y nerviosas que imitan los patrones de habla del pánico, y en la segunda favorece figuras rápidas y repetitivas que se desvanecen como ecos o llamadas de auxilio sin respuesta. Todo ello es indicativo del nivel de imaginación con el que se lleva a cabo el proyecto, lo que hace que sea una pena que Dickerson se retirara de la actuación durante toda una década tras su publicación, dejando que Bobby Hutcherson se convirtiera en el intérprete de vibráfono modernista más importante de la segunda mitad de los años 60. La reedición en CD de Impressions of a Patch of Blue realizada por Verve en 1999 fue una edición muy limitada, así que no se demore en adquirirla.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/impressions-of-a-patch-of-blue-mw0000247890

Tracks:
1 - A Patch Of Blue - Part 1 - 1:25
2 - A Patch Of Blue - Part 2 - 4:30
3 - Bacon And Eggs - 5:25
4 - High Hopes - 5:10
5 - Alone In The Park - Part 1 - 2:55
6 - Alone In The Park - Part 2 - 6:30
7 - Selina's Fantasy - 3:58
8 - Thataway - 4:15


Credits:
    Artwork [Cover Art] – Marvin Pastina
    Bass – Bob Cunningham
    Composed By – Jerry Goldsmith
    Design [Cover] – Acy Lehman
    Drums – Roger Blank
    Harpsichord – Sun Ra (tracks: 2, 6, 7, 8)
    Liner Notes – Francis Davis
    Mastered By – Lanquid Kevin Reeves*
    Piano – Sun Ra (tracks: 1-4, 6-8)
    Producer – Tom Wilson (2)
    Supervised By, Research, Technician [Restored By] – Ben Young (3)
    Vibraphone – Walt Dickerson

Notes:
Recorded probably late 1965 in New York City.
Original LP issue on MGM SE-4358 in 1965

Label:    Verve Records – 314 559 929-2
Series:    Verve Elite Edition
Country:    US
Released:    Jul 1999
Genre:    Jazz, Stage & Screen
Style:    Soundtrack, Post Bop
https://www.discogs.com/release/1905471-Walt-Dickerson-Quartet-Impressions-Of-A-Patch-Of-Blue

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