Lincoln’s Dixie
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Lincoln’s Dixie is another short composition for brass instruments, this time all trombones. The entire piece uses only elements of the original Dixie as musical material. I was fascinated by the idea that Dixie was one of Lincoln’s favorite tunes. He was known to request it at various functions, and had asked for it to be played in the White House. In so many of Lincoln’s writings it is clear he had tremendous empathy for his enemies.
In writing this piece I imagined him up late at night pacing the White House with these ominous fragments of Dixie re-composed in his head, something so familiar but strange, and symbolic of the horrors that confronted him every day during the war. We only play the original melody at the very end of the piece, and in truncated form.
Image: Dixie’s Land. Library of Congress.
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The Lincoln Shuffle
Bryce Dessner is the guitarist for The National and Clogs. Bryce has performed/and or recorded with some of the world’s most creative musicians, including songwriters Antony Hegarty and Sufjan Stevens, Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo, and composers Michael Gordon, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich. In addition to touring with The National, Bryce’s upcoming projects include a new commission for the Kronos Quartet and a new work for BAM”s Next Wave Festival in 2009.
Bryce offers up “The Lincoln Shuffle,” a series of short compositions inspired by Lincoln and the music of his era, featuring primarily brass instruments. Bryce hopes his work will be the seed of an archive that starts to grow, so we invite you to remix his music or create your own.
Composed by Bryce Dessner
Performed by:
Bryce Dessner – Guitar
Aaron Dessner - Guitar
Benjamin Lanz- Trombone
Kyle Resnick- Trumpet
Recorded and Mixed by Bryce Dessner
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