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Soul music comes in a lot of different dressings, but one thing is sure. When you hear it, it connects directly. Sometimes the music comes from the deepest corners of Memphis, or out in one of Houston’s murkiest wards. Other moments it’ll appear full-tilt from New Orleans’ funkiest neighborhoods, or San Francisco’s foggiest areas. Soul has no color, really, though there are those who’ll fight that notion to the end. They’ll lose, because the idea that we’re separated by race is a notion finally dying a long-destined death, and the quicker those lines come down the closer we’ll all be. Gabe Dixon is a musician who has lived in the twilight zone too long. His debut album from 2002 was good, but didn’t really capture the true spirit of his strengths. Being a world-class pianist, he is quickly put in a league with Elton John, Bruce Hornsby, Ben Folds and other bandleaders who sit behind the keyboard. Which is all well and good, but Dixon is different and very much his own man. Then, living in Nashville, it’s easy to throw him in with the country crowd, which isn’t even close. What Gabe Dixon really does best is be himself. He has an unerring ear for melodies that sound familiar, but are completely original, and a playing style so strong Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Allison Krauss have all worked with him. Songs like “Further the Sky” and “Far from Home” on Dixon’s new release mark him as someone, given an equal chance, will make a big mark on music, because everything he does reflects someone burning with quiet but undeniable soul. This is a musician who may not fit how artists are sliced up these days, but those are also the ones, once heard, make the most lasting difference. Gabe Dixon can do that. Listen.
