Other Dimensions In Music

Beginning their documented work in 1990 on Sweden's Silkheart imprint, Other Dimensions in Music pursued spontaneous creation rooted in Cecil Taylor's idiom. The choice aligned with the rhythm section's makeup, which featured bassist William Parker and drummer Rashid Bakr, each a veteran of Taylor's groups. The ensemble gained particular attention by featuring the infrequently recorded saxophonist Daniel Carter, a fervent yet melodic player who consistently declined leader status on every project; reports indicate the Silkheart session had originally been envisioned as his own. Leadership concerns carry little meaning in this setting, however, since the unit operated as an equal collective throughout. Carter and trumpeter Roy Campbell generated intense yet poised improvisations over the turbulent foundations supplied by Bakr and Parker. The musicians assembled only occasionally during the 1990s for appearances at New York's Knitting Factory and additional sites. Their subsequent recording, Now!, surfaced on the Aum Fidelity label in 1998, with Time Is of the Essence Is Beyond Time arriving in 2000.