COMPOSERS: Dave Douglas,Joni Mitchell
LABELS: DIW
ALBUM TITLE: Dave Douglas
PERFORMER: Dave Douglas (t), Bill Carrothers (p), James Genus (b), Billy Hart (d)
CATALOGUE NO: 934 (distr. Harmonia Mundi)
Dave Douglas is one of the most accomplished musicians among the ‘Downtown’ movement, that loose coalition of experimenters on the New York scene who are concerned with making jazz sound surprising again. Douglas is a ubiquitous figure who flits from ensemble to ensemble, adapting with taste to the moment.
Those moments might be as varied as the group New and Used, or ensembles led by Uri Cane, Mark Feldman, Bobby Previte and, documented on some nine albums. Douglas is also a leader of his own bands, and with them has examined the music of Booker Little and Wayne Shorter, while this album mixes Douglas’s own compositions with three tracks by Joni Mitchell.
While Douglas may work from within tradition, he doesn’t allow it to shackle him to predictability. Rather he uses it as a reference point to question the status quo with new ideas and recombinations of existing knowledge, resulting is some of the most adventurous jazz out today. SN