Christian Dillingham: Cascades
Greenleaf Music

The very embodiment of versatility, bassist Christian Dillingham adapts comfortably to any context he finds himself in, be it the classical world, where he's performed with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the Grant Park Symphony, the Chicago Philharmonic, and the new music orchestra Alarm Will Sound, or in the jazz scene, where he's played at many an esteemed Chicago venue and worked with Greg Ward, Marcus Carroll, Peter Bernstein, Chico Freeman, and others; Dillingham even played on gospel star Kirk Franklin's album Long Live Love. Moving to Chicago in 2006 has clearly opened many a door for the Ohio native.

Dillingham draws on this wellspring of experience for his debut on Dave Douglas' Greenleaf Music imprint, Cascades. It's a multi-faceted set that spans many genres and ruminates thoughtfully on issues of race and identity. More than anything else, however, it's a musically rewarding travelogue through ten Dillingham originals with the bassist, guitarist Dave Miller, drummer Greg Artry, and saxophonist Lenard Simpson (alto and soprano) leading the way. All four are fast-on-their feet and quick studies, responsive musicians who're clearly familiar with the structures in play but not so much that the performances, captured at Chicago's Pro Musica over two days in November 2021, feel over-rehearsed. A loose and relaxed feel informs the playing, and the tunes resonate all the better for it.

Individually, each contributes much to the project. Dillingham, naturally, plays with authority and presence, and Artry drums with an attack that's muscular and combustive. Miller's as comfortable unleashing a smooth bebop pattern or tremolo shading as a scrabbly, lo-fi riff, and Simpson's a great front-line partner in countering Miller's guitar with a sleek, bright tone and acrobatic invention (interestingly, Cascades is the first project on which the two worked together). Put the four together and the result is engaging music birthed through attentive collective expression. It doesn't hurt that Dillingham elevates his music with enticing melodies too.

The ear's instantly captivated by the forceful bass line with which “The Bottoms” begins and the dramatic theme that follows. Things quickly turn radiant with the appearance of a soulful melody the front-liners deliver together and that buoys the performance. The title a reference to a predominantly black area in the town where Dillingham grew up, the piece exudes nostalgic affection for the family and friends that surrounded the bassist in his early years. As infectiously swinging is the bop-inflected blues that follows, “Like No Other,” which offers Simpson and Miller a terrific springboard for adventurous solos.

Emblematic of Dillingham's capacity for propulsive drive is the double-time bass line that powers “One Breath” and establishes a swinging ground for the abstractions the saxist and guitarist stretch across it. Speaking of atmospheric, “Lost in Desolation” plunges even more into a dark and spacious realm, animation here exchanged for rootless, drifting contemplation—not every colour on Cascades so bright, apparently. Pulling back from its greyness is the melodic and soulfully funky “Homeostasis,” a welcome mood-lightener to “Lost in Desolation.” The album's at its most appealing when it sets its sights on appealing tracks like it and “Undulation,” a warm, vibrant workout featuring sparkling trade-offs between the front-liners. Elsewhere, “Someday Soon” adopts a ponderous ballad form for an expression of yearning for better days, while the soulfully rocking “Code Switch” takes the album out on a cresting wave of affirmation.

September 2023