The indigenous beats of New Orleans comprise a rhythmic vocabulary that has captivated American popular music for over a century. Many of the city's drummers have translated their pulse internationally as featured sidemen and as bandleaders and composers — stalwarts like Vernel Fournier, James Black, Idris Muhammad, Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, Johnny Vidacovich, Herlin Riley, and Jason Marsalis.
Joe Dyson, the second guest on our Jazz After Hours conversation series Let Me Tell You 'Bout It, also carries this lineage.
As he grew up both in a musical family and in the environment of the Black church, Dyson shares that two mentors — bandleader-griots Alvin Batiste and Donald Harrison — gave him the one-on-one training that further shaped his foundation. With an eye and ear trained toward exposing young talent (as his mentor Art Blakey did for him) Harrison took Dyson on the road while the young drummer was still in his teens.
Dyson's style not only embodies the roots of New Orleans, but also the energy and zeal of the New York scene he's been a part of since 2013. In person, Dyson is soft-spoken yet very expressive. On drums, his dynamic energy, work ethic and rhythmic vocabulary have led to increased visibility with a diverse group of improvisers and leading players like Dr. Lonnie Smith, Nicholas Payton, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, Marc Ribot — and later this year, with Pat Metheny, who will feature Dyson in a trio called Side-Eye with acclaimed keyboardist James Francies.
As a co-leader of an ongoing ensemble, The Bridge Trio, Dyson has chosen to step forward with his first solo album, A Look Within. Although the compositions were recorded before the pandemic, Dyson shares how the album, and title tune in particular, took on more significance during the pandemic. He says isolation can birth a healthy introspection, and this extended period of inventory allows an individual more space to find the ideas, strength and courage to do even greater work in the future.
