(Between Worlds Music)
2011
9.4
The “god hours” are described as the fertile stretch of time between 3 and 5 a.m.  Those who “break night,” may have experienced moments of quiet and stillness in these pre-dawn hours. Just as the blue- black night sky co-mingles with daybreak, one may enjoy some of the most peaceful and serene moments of the day, even in the largest and most crowded cities in the world. Harnessing the energy of the dream space, the “god hours” have no doubt given birth to some of the world’s most phenomenal and ground breaking works of art.  In Waking Dreams, Chris Dingman, vibraphonist, explores his personal history, the mysterious space of early morning and dreams in an accomplished debut project.
“Vijayanagara” explores ruin, loss and spiritual centeredness. Inspired by a city of the same name located in Southern India, Dingman takes a melancholy and meditative look at the human experience through the lens of one of the most powerful cities in India’s history.  The journey is at first exterior as listeners hear Dingman’s interpretation of the city’s landscape and historical significance.  As the piece progresses, the composition becomes introspective as the ensemble explores nuances of human affect and awareness.  Overall, the piece crystallizes the relationship the outer and inner world has on individuals and communities, while illuminating the gentle balance necessary for people and nature to mutually flourish.
Joining Dingman, are Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet), Loren Stillman (saxophones), Fabian Almazan (piano) and Joe Sanders (bass).   The quintet works like a well-oiled machine to explore what Dingman describes as the human experience – those moments of pain, love, regeneration, despair, solitude and transcendence that may sculpt each individual’s life.
In “Jet Lag,” listeners experience a butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling.  Justin Brown opens the piece with a riff reminiscent of flurries of early morning light.  Then the composition takes flight as Amborse Akinmusire takes center stage with a strangely beautiful solo.  Dingman keeps the intensity afloat that transitions into a moment of solitude, as the vibraphone reverberates and echoes.  Perhaps the song is a testimony to the euphoria of literal jet lag or maybe it points to the type of sleep deprivation that might accompany a night of incessant dreaming.  Regardless, the almost disorienting conclusion of the song conjures swirls of deep purples and rich burgundy that leaves listeners surrounded and bathed in thick, overlapping rhythms and tones.
Imagine, cool dew resting on sleeping leaves and flower petals as brilliant stars stare down at the earth.  Imagine the moon providing a night light for creatures doing their normal business in the dark.  Imagine the bottom of the sea, where it is always dim to night or the days of perpetual darkness Alaska experiences every year.   The ensemble sinks into a thorough and beautiful explication of night in “Nocturnal.” Listeners experience the night’s mystery and contour.  By the end of the composition, the ensemble reveals that each individual experiences night in a very unique way.
The title song off the album showcases the vibraphonist’s expertise.  The composition is part ars poetica, a creative manifesto that reveals the musicians personal investment in his craft and the project overall.  “Waking Dreams” is a wonderfully layered and complex piece that resonates most strongly because of its attention to layering and polyrhythmic detail.
This project reminds listeners of night’s ripeness and the possibility of dreams.  Listen to Waking Dreams and contemplate your own steps to living a more fully actualized life.
Words by Ebony Noelle Golden
Ebony is a conceptual performance artist, writer and creative director of Betty’s Daughter Arts Collaborative, LLC based in New York City.  Her artistic and scholarly interests include womanist performance methodology, liberation poetics, jazz aesthetics, healing and transformation. www.bettysdaughterarts.com
