- Alexey Izmalkov
- John Dikeman
Over the last seven years or so the ferocious American saxophonist John Dikeman—a native of Kemmerer, Wyoming, a locale not usually considered a hot spot for improvised music—has become a vital part of Amsterdam’s bustling scene, helping to forge a path for a new generation of players trying to develop a sound distinct from the singular approach made famous by players associated with ICP Orchestra. Whereas many of the scene’s veterans—masterfully chronicled in Kevin Whitehead’s essential New Dutch Swing book—dynamically subverted jazz tradition with new improvisational gambits, Dikeman is part of a crew who at times seem intent on tearing it all down. (At other times he celebrates jazz tradition, such as his participation in the project called Amsterdam Real Book, which visited Constellation last month). His trio called Cactus Truck, which makes a stop at the Hungry Brain on Sunday evening, is a free-improv wrecking crew who bring to mind some of the go-for-broke mayhem embodied in the music of former Chicagoan Weasel Walter.
[audio-1]
