Avant Garde Trumpet Music : Strange Liberation

Strange Liberation

£6.40

  1. Single Sky
  2. Strange Liberation
  3. Skeeterism
  4. Just Say This
  5. Seventeen
  6. Mountains From The Train
  7. Rock Of Billy
  8. Frisell Dream
  9. Passing Through
  10. Jones
  11. Catalyst

He may deny it, but trumpeter Dave Douglas is straight out of Miles Davis. Nothing aurally illustrates that influence more clearly than this small-combo recording with Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes piano, drummer Clarence Penn, bassist James Genus and bass clarinettist-saxophonist Chris Potter. Douglas has recorded a number of ambitious projects over the years--from Middle Eastern-inspired compositions to hip-hop-orientated works--but in this tried-and-true format, he extends and elaborates on the mid-60s sounds of Davis s Miles in the Sky and Filles de Kilimanjaro. Like that of the Prince of Darkness, Douglas s trumpet beams with the same bravura, backed by Caine s Herbie Hancock-style keyboard, Penn s moody and martial drumming and Genus s rock-steady bass on the up-tempo Seventeen, the Wayne Shorter-like title track, and the bluesy Rock of Billy. Throw the twilight-toned twang of Bill Frisell s guitar into this mix, and you ve got a CD that shows how to deftly blend the electric with the acoustic, resulting in a fusion that declares it roots and points the way to the future. --Eugene Holley, Jr, Amazon.com

Brilliant - This can been seen as the follow up album to the excellent The Infinite in that it features the same quintet with Chris Potter, Uri Caine, James Genus and Clarence Penn. For my money, this is Dave Douglas best group and whilst this does not quite reach the peaks of the previous album (one of the best jazz CD s of the last 10 years) it still remains a fantastic effort and is boosted by the presence of most of the trakcs by guitar giant Bill Frisell. Indeed, on The Frisell Dream, Douglas has conjured up a piece that could have been written by his fellow musician. The incorporation of Frisell into the group does nothing to spoil the balance of the standard quintet who inspire him to some of his best playing on record for years. It goes without saying that Douglas is his usual excellent self and the standard of his compositions yet again demonstrate that the trumpeter must now be considered one of the finest of today s jazz composers. All in all, this is a superb record although fans of Douglas may wish to add the phenomenal The Infinite to their collection first. Another fine CD from a musician whose name is a kite mark for quality jazz.

........NNNNNNNNICE! - Having only recently expanded my musical interests (psyche,metal,rock/fusion,classical) to avant-garde/post-bop jazz I was pleasantly surprised to find some of it, through works such as this, much more approachable and listenable than I had anticipated (compared to other examples of Dave s work I have heard anyway!) Having heard Catalyst on a late night BBC show I made it my first serious jazz purchase, finding plenty of new things on each hearing. The sound quality on this album is fantastic, and the playing is faultless, spiced up with a bit of electric guitar, great percussion and a few keyboard effects. By the way, folks, there s a lot to be said for picking up an instrument (any) and learning the nuts and bolts of music - it sharpens your ear and broadens your mind. Definitely hooked now - glad to join the jazz club!




Strange Liberation