Dave Douglas – Strange Liberation (Bluebird)

Writers and poll respondents pretty much agree that Dave Douglas is the most important and innovative trumpet player on the scene. Eclectic is probably the word that best describes him. He has explored so many disparate avenues for his creativity that it is difficult to keep pace with him. From Tiny Bell Trio to his current quintet, one never knows quite what to expect.  The current band explored late-1960s Miles Davis on The Infinite CD released in 2002. But now, with a couple of years of touring behind them, and the addition of the rich and bluesy sounds of guitarist Bill Frisell, they deliver Strange Liberation and have moved completely into Dave Douglas territory, continuing a string of successful and inventive releases that is sure to reaffirm Douglas as one of today’s most ambitious and creative artists.

Bill Frisell has a unique sound and feel. Chris Potter, who has appeared at the Hollywood Jazz Festival twice (initially with Red Rodney when only 21-years-old, and later with Dave Holland) is a dominant force on tenor saxophone. Pianist Uri Caine has graced a number of Douglas projects, as much for his chameleon-like ability to meld with any format, as for his strong sense of musicality. James Genus and Clarence Penn are rapidly becoming a rhythm section tour-de-force; whether it is on impressionistic pieces like “Just Say This” or the more intense “Seventeen,” they provide the right support while, at the same time, propelling the front line.

Douglas’s technique continues to expand, although it never gets in the way of the music; for Douglas, as with the rest of the band, the music is the thing, and while there is plenty of impressive playing on Strange Liberation that asserts the strong personalities involved, egos never get in the way.