Life Rays

Life Rays is an album by vibraphonist Walt Dickerson, bassist Sirone, and drummer Andrew Cyrille. Dickerson's final release, it was recorded in Italy in 1982 for the Soul Note label.^[1][2][3]

Life Rays
Studio album by Walt Dickerson, Sirone, Andrew Cyrille
Released	1982
Recorded	February 4–5, 1982
Studio	Barigozzi Studios, Milan, Italy
Genre	Jazz
Length	45:45
Label	Soul Note SN 121 028
Producer	Giovanni Bonandrini
Walt Dickerson chronology
To My Son (1978) Life Rays (1982)
Sirone chronology
Artistry (1979) Life Rays (1982) Sirone's Concord (2003)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[5]

AllMusic gave the album 3 stars.^[4]

The authors of the Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings wrote: "In the dynamic company of Sirone and Cyrille, Walt emerges as a particular kind of modernist, a radical-conservative... Dickerson seems to be striking harder than usual, Cyrille is faultless and the music has a strongly percussive quality. Sirone is magnificent whenever soloing..."^[5]

Writing for JazzTimes, Duck Baker commented that Dickerson's "conception of melodic/percussive development is really his own. He may at times sound impressionistic, as when he creates such long shimmering lines that they cease to be heard as lines and become a sonic waterfall, but it’s not just a pretty thing." Regarding Sirone and Cyrille, he stated: "The context calls for the utmost in understatement and controlled passion, and even staunch fans of these two may be surprised at how well they answer the call."^[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Walt Dickerson except where noted.

1. "No Ordinary Man" – 9:02
2. "Good Relationship" – 13:37
3. "Life Rays" – 4:42
4. "It Ain't Necessarily So" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) – 18:06

Personnel

• Walt Dickerson – vibraphone
• Sirone – bass
• Andrew Cyrille – drums

References

1. Soul Note Records main series discography accessed March 29, 2017
2. Fitzgerald, M., Walt Dickerson discography accessed March 29, 2017
3. CAM Jazz accessed March 29, 2017
4. AllMusic listing accessed March 29, 2017
5. Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 373. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
6. Baker, Duck (May 1, 1998). "Walt Dickerson/Sirone/Andrew Cyrille: Life Rays". Jazz Times. Retrieved March 25, 2022.