A Sense of Direction

A Sense of Direction is an album led by vibraphonist and composer Walt Dickerson recorded in 1961 and released on the New Jazz label.^[1][2]

A Sense of Direction
Studio album by Walt Dickerson
Released	1961
Recorded	May 5, 1961
Studio	Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Genre	Jazz
Length	40:54
Label	New Jazz NJLP 8268
Producer	Esmond Edwards
Walt Dickerson chronology
This Is Walt Dickerson! (1961) A Sense of Direction (1961) Relativity (1962)

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[3]
Down Beat	[4]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings	[5]

AllMusic reviewer Steve Huey stated: "If it's a shade less challenging and inventive than This Is Walt Dickerson!, A Sense of Direction compensates by making Dickerson's innovations more accessible and inviting".^[3] DownBeat reviewer Pete Welding wrote: "if it is only slightly less adventurous than his initial recording, it is still an ardent collection -- primarily of ballads -- treated with unflagging invention and restrain ...Were it not for the slight conventionality of some of the numbers, the rating would have been five stars."^[6]

Track listing

All compositions by Walt Dickerson except as indicated

1. "Sense of Direction" - 6:00
2. "Ode to Boy" - 5:30
3. "Togetherness" - 3:00
4. "What's New?" (Johnny Burke, Bob Haggart) - 4:44
5. "Good Earth" - 3:33
6. "Why" - 4:48
7. "You Go to My Head" (J. Fred Coots, Haven Gillespie) - 8:19
8. "If I Should Lose You" (Ralph Rainger, Leo Robin) - 5:00

Personnel

• Walt Dickerson – vibraphone
• Austin Crowe – piano
• Eustis Guillemet Jr. – bass
• Edgar Bateman – drums