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 Joël
Dilley’s music is a study in contrasts. As comfortable with
Mozart, Mahler, and the twelve-tone row as he is with be-bop and
hip-hop, he is totally committed to the bassist’s traditional
supporting role within the rhythm section; yet, when it comes
time to solo, his bass sings like the human voice. In his
compositions, you’ll find meticulously arranged orchestration
balanced by magical moments of improvisation. And filtered
through a soundtrack teeming with urban life, you’ll find an
intuitive connection with nature, as Hannah Castellaw of
WomanSpace observes on Dilley’s first album, River of
Hope: “A deeply passionate and personal work....He deftly
translates all the colors, sounds, and feelings associated with
his life experiences into music....His rich bass is the stuff of
heart beats, ocean waves, and other natural earth rhythms.”
Joël Dilley himself is also study in contrasts. A reserved
manner belies an intensely passionate nature, and seriousness is
balanced by a close-to-the-surface sense of humor. A private
person who feels most at home performing in front of large
groups of people, a man of deep spirituality who has played in
some decidedly unspiritual places, he is as intimately familiar
with the desolate landscapes of South Texas as he is with the
graffiti-splattered inner cities of Chicago and New York; and he
has friends among the homeless as well as among the politicians
and professionals who frequent the upscale clubs where he
regularly plays.
Yet even those closest to him will be the first to admit how
little he reveals about himself. For that, you must listen to
his music; only there does the story unfold. You will hear the
authoritative articulation of groove he learned from his early
studies with Rufus Reid and Stafford James; the laid-back
phrasing of melody he learned from recording projects with
Willie Nelson; the elegant, soulful wail echoing from the gigs
he played with Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson; the disciplined and
focused approach to standards from his experiences with
legendary jazz guitarists Herb Ellis and Tal Farlow; and the
sensitive and meticulous ensemble playing he honed while
performing with area symphony orchestras. You will hear the
romance and rhythm of the Latin culture in which he grew up. And
you will hear the clean execution and the sense of groove that
have made Joël Dilley a first-call session player. Above all,
you will hear the tragedy and the joy, the irony and the humor
that make up his and all our lives.
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