Whit Dickey – born on May 28, 1954, in New York City, New York – is a free jazz drummer best known for his work in groups led by jazz saxophonists David S. Ware and Ivo Perelman, and pianist Matthew Shipp. Growing up in Bennington, Vermont, he didn’t take up drums until he was in his 20s. He studied under Milford Graves and Bill Dixon while attending Bennington College and the New England Conservatory of Music. He joined pianist Matthew Shipp’s quartet in 1990 and made his recorded debut on the album Points. His musical collaboration with Shipp continued for the next three decades. In 1993, he began playing with David S. Ware and over the next three years, he appeared on albums such as Earthequation (1994). Whit Dickey released, Transonic, his first album as a leader, in 1998. His career as a leader continued with albums such as Big Top (2000), In a Heartbeat (2005), Sacred Ground (2006), Vessel in Orbit (2017), and Expanding Light (2020). During his career, he also recorded with a variety of combos including Trio Ahxoloha, Peace Planet, and the Nommonsemble. Whit Dickey joined Ivo Perelman’s band in 2012 and appeared on a series of his albums including The Clairvoyant (2012), Enigma (2013), Tenorhood (2015), and several albums in The Art of Perelman-Ship series. Other artists that Whit Dickey has worked with include Joe Morris, Roy Campbell Jr., Mat Maneri, and many others.
