Collaboraxiom was composed for a concert series entitled Im Dialog mit Bach commemorating the 250th Anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach's death. Collaboraxiom can be thought of as a dialogue with Bach insofar as it employs certain ideas about melodic rhythm developed in response to the study of Bach's music. The analogy with actual dialogue ends there, however, seeing as how Bach hasn't been given an opportunity to respond. The piece was first performed in Edenkoben, Germany, in November 2000 by my dear friends, the duo Contour: Stephen Altoft (trumpet) and Lee Forrest Ferguson (vibraphone).