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"The Gabe Dixon Band: Live at World Café" is a bit of a puzzle. It references some of our generation's best song-writers while still managing to be completely original.
Gabe Dixon and his band are getting a lot of buzz very quickly, playing with artists of stature (Paul McCartney, Loggins & Messina, Alison Krauss) and staking out his presence on TV (commercials, The Life of Brian, Conviction). One listen to the opulent “Live at World Café” explains the attention. A warm intimacy spills over his dazzling piano-pop sound, its pleasures only enhanced by the brawny support of Jano Rix (drums, vocals) and Winston Harrison (bass, vocals, and looping). This tight trio serves up five Dixon originals and a traffic-stopping cover of Hendrix classic “Hey Joe.” The latter pulls out all the stops, coning as close to Hendrix’ perfection as any cover of this song I’ve ever heard, with its rolling piano movements, and a prowling bass line and ambient looping that adds to the song’s ominous feel. There are times when I hear Joni Mitchell’s sparkling keys here, but it is in the soulful “All Will Be Well” that Dixon references numerous popular writers who have come before: his vocal/keys mix brings early Billy Joel to mind, his gentle lyricism and timing allude to Paul Simon, even the occasional Dylan phrasing moment occurs. But the Dixon intelligence covers all, making every measure strictly undeniably his own. The lovely “Ever After You” bounces joyously through its pop changes and soft vocals, and the smooth groove of “Shallow” looks at the surrounding superficiality while earnestly expressing desire for more. The EP closes out with the jazz-tinged “More Than It Would Seem,” burning its way through simmering changes before moving into a final jam, Dixon’s inventive chord choices amping up the energy to the end. You don’t have to be a prophet to know that the Gabe Dixon Band is going to be making an impact on the cultural soundscape. You just have to be thankful for it.
The copyright of the article The Gabe Dixon Band in Christian Music is owned by Kevan Breitinger. Permission to republish The Gabe Dixon Band in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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