Search - Dave Douglas :: Live at the Jazz Standard (Bril)

Beyond expectation.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 08/15/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"In December of 2006, I passed up the opportunity to check out some of the shows that produced this record-- I was about due for a trip down to Manhattan, but quite honestly, although I'd been looking for an excuse to get to the Jazz Standard (with its superb menu), I didn't really care for Dave Douglas' quintet project-- essentially a traditional jazz quintet but using an electric piano. The studio albums never moved me. Still, I enjoy Dave Douglas' music enough that I pick up his records pretty much without question.



Clearly, as the aural evidence suggests, I made a terrible mistake not heading to New York for these performances.



Douglas assembled his band-- himself on cornet, Donny McCaslin on tenor sax, Uri Caine on the Fender Rhodes keyboard, James Genus on bass (viol, not guitar) and Clarence Penn behind the drum kit-- to air out their entire

songbook, lots of new compositions but also works from the albums, with all the material being released via MP3 download by Douglas' label (Greenleaf Music). Eventually, he decided to release the new compositions as this double, "Live at the Jazz Standard", with a couple of older tracks tacked on the end.



So why the different feelings about this one as opposed to the studio records? I'll use disc 2 opener as a microcosm for the entire disc. The piece is based around a gentle groove, ably laid down by Caine and the rhythm section, capitalizing on the hazy sound of the Rhodes. Add to that a gentle syncopated pause that crops up occasionally and you have one heck of a song. On top of this, we get a downright fierce performance-- it's not that it's over the top or energetic-- quite the contrary, the piece is a downtempo number, it's that there's an intensity to the performance that doesn't require aggression, whether it's Douglas' transcendent soaring solo (one of his best I've ever heard) or the interplay of the band in general (Clarence Penn for example giving Uri Caine a nudge when Caine's solo starts to feel it may drift into unfocused territory).



And the thing that really gets you, it's this way throughout the recording-- the "In a Silent Way" vibe of "Tree and Shrub", with an extraordinarily delicate melody, the unusual tension of near blues groove "Indian Point", the Zorn-like cartoonish blast of "The Cornet is a Fickle Friend" and the fractured swaggering swing of "Seth Thomas" are all real standouts on the first disc, particularly the latter. Douglas' use of space and almost singsong sounds really uplifts the piece. On the second disc, in addition to opener "Meaning and Mystery", Douglas manages perhaps his most emotive and meditative piece on "Redemption", starting gently and building a forceful head of steam and pulls off the most convincing Monk-like swaggering swing perhaps ever put forth on a Rhodes on "Little Penn". Like Monk's work, it's got a catchy, almost singsong melody that deceptively presents it as a simple little piece, but proves to be a great vehicle for the musicians to perform (and a fine feature for namesake drummer Clarence Penn).



The bottom line is I'm pretty much blown away. Suffice to say, I'll be at the band's performance at the Vanguard this December, I'm not missing this opportunity twice. Thankfully, Douglas put this record out for those of us who missed out to see what was going on."

Great Live Perfomance of new material

Scott Williams | Oakland, CA United States | 01/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This live album features Dave Douglas's latest quartet (2007). Most of the songs on this album are new songs that are not on Dave's other albums. So unlike most live albums you are not getting a bunch of songs that you already have on other studio albums. The sound quality on the album is fantastic. You would not know it was a live album if it were not for some occasional audience clapping in between songs.



The CD features great soloing by all group members, but really showcases the amazing abilities of Douglas on Trumpet and McCaslin on sax. There are many moments where McClasslin and Douglas battle and/or echo each other in intertwining solos. There is great depth and variety in the material and the more you listen to it the more hidden treasures you discover. Right off the bat you'll notice this was recorded at Christmas time as Douglas cleverly works in the theme to 'frosty the snowman' and 'let is snow' into his solos. Everything Dave is doing these days is amazing and this CD is no exception.

"