Formation

The Dixon-Rhyne Project was formed in 2007 when tenor saxophonist Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon is an American jazz saxophonist.A native of Atlanta, Dixon went to school at Indiana University where he came under the influence of the renowned jazz educator David Baker...

 approached organist Melvin Rhyne

Melvin Rhyne

Melvin Rhyne , is a jazz organist best known for his work with Wes Montgomery.-Early Years:Melvin Rhyne was born in Indianapolis in 1936 and started playing the piano shortly thereafter...

, of Wes Montgomery Trio

Wes Montgomery

John Leslie "Wes" Montgomery was an American jazz guitarist. He is widely considered one of the major jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including Pat Martino, George Benson, Russell Malone, Emily...

 fame, about forming a boundary-pushing jazz jam band. Dixon said, "When I asked Mel if he wanted to do this project together, I explained to him what the music was like, that it's not really straight ahead and might not be his thing...He was a lot more receptive to it that i thought he would be. In fact, he was into it."

Dixon and Rhyne then recruited drummer Kenny Phelps and Chicago guitarist Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque is a fusion guitar virtuoso of Pakistani and Chilean descent.Raised in Chicago, he studied at North Texas State University and Northwestern University....

, known for both his solo releases on Blue Note Records

Blue Note Records

Blue Note Records is a jazz record label, established in 1939 by Alfred Lion and Max Margulis. Francis Wolff became involved shortly afterwards. It derives its name from the characteristic "blue notes" of jazz and the blues. At the end of the 1950s, and in the early 1960s, Blue Note headquarters...

 and his work with jam band Garaj Mahal

Garaj Mahal

Garaj Mahal is a four piece band, based in the United States, playing a fusion of jazz, Indian music, rock, and especially funk: Kai Eckhardt , Fareed Haque , Alan Hertz , Sean Rickman and Eric Levy...

.

Album Release

After playing several gigs at the Jazz Kitchen in Indianapolis to develop their music in a live setting, the quartet went into the studio at The Static Shack in Indianapolis over two four-day sessions in April and June 2007.

In 2008, the quartet released its debut album Reinvention: The Dixon-Rhyne Project on the Owl Studios

Owl Studios

Owl Studios is an independent record label, started in 2005 by J. Allan Hall, that concentrates on jazz, R&B, and jam band genres. It is based in Indianapolis, Indiana and operates from its downtown offices on Monument Circle.-Formation:...

 label which had previously released albums from Rob Dixon with Rob Dixon & Triology +1

Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon is an American jazz saxophonist.A native of Atlanta, Dixon went to school at Indiana University where he came under the influence of the renowned jazz educator David Baker...

's What Things Could Be and Fareed Haque with Fareed Haque & The Flat Earth Ensemble

Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque is a fusion guitar virtuoso of Pakistani and Chilean descent.Raised in Chicago, he studied at North Texas State University and Northwestern University....

's Flat Planet. The album was well-received and noted by critics for its mixture of old-school jazz sensiblities with new-school experimentation and innovation.

The band continued to perform live until the end of 2008, but does not perform with the same degree of frequency any longer, largely because of how busy each of the members has been since the release.

Continued Work

Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon

Rob Dixon is an American jazz saxophonist.A native of Atlanta, Dixon went to school at Indiana University where he came under the influence of the renowned jazz educator David Baker...

 continues to work with many other jazz artists and has since recorded with Derrick Gardner & The Jazz Prophets

Derrick Gardner

Derrick Gardner is an American jazz trumpeter from Chicago, Illinois.Gardner began playing trumpet at age 9 in his hometown of Chicago, IL...

, Cynthia Layne

Cynthia Layne

Cynthia Layne is an American contemporary jazz vocalist. Layne describes her music as "soothing to the soul...a mix of groove based R&B with strong jazz undertones."...

, the Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

Buselli-Wallarab Jazz Orchestra

The Buselli–Wallarab Jazz Orchestra is a jazz orchestra consisting of 17 pieces. The late jazz musician J.J. Johnson called the BWJO, "A marvelous new band with exceptional soloists and some of the most creative and satisfying writing I've heard in a long time."BWJO co-founders Mark Buselli and...

, Mike Clark

Mike Clark (musician)

Mike Clark is an American jazz and funk drummer who is most noted for playing in the Headhunters band headed up by Herbie Hancock in the mid-1970s. Clark's performance on Hancock's album Thrust, and particularly the song "Actual Proof," is often cited as one of the finest examples of the linear...

, and The Headhunters

The Headhunters

The Headhunters are an American jazz-funk fusion band, best known for their albums they recorded as a backing band of jazz keyboard player Herbie Hancock during the 1970s. Hancock's debut album with the group, Head Hunters, is one of the best-selling jazz/fusion records of all time.-History:Herbie...

.

Melvin Rhyne

Melvin Rhyne

Melvin Rhyne , is a jazz organist best known for his work with Wes Montgomery.-Early Years:Melvin Rhyne was born in Indianapolis in 1936 and started playing the piano shortly thereafter...

 has not released any records since Reinvention but has continue touring with his Melvin Rhyne Trio

Melvin Rhyne

Melvin Rhyne , is a jazz organist best known for his work with Wes Montgomery.-Early Years:Melvin Rhyne was born in Indianapolis in 1936 and started playing the piano shortly thereafter...

.

Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque

Fareed Haque is a fusion guitar virtuoso of Pakistani and Chilean descent.Raised in Chicago, he studied at North Texas State University and Northwestern University....

 has continued work on his Garaj Mahal

Garaj Mahal

Garaj Mahal is a four piece band, based in the United States, playing a fusion of jazz, Indian music, rock, and especially funk: Kai Eckhardt , Fareed Haque , Alan Hertz , Sean Rickman and Eric Levy...

project, releasing the albums w00t in 2008 and More Mr. Nice Guy in 2010. Plans for another Dixon-Rhyne Project album are currently unknown.