Garbanzo Toons

Dave Douglas

This past weekend I took my wife to see my favorite trumpet player,
Dave Douglas at the Kerrytown Concert House in Ann Arbor. We sat in the front row, which was so close, we could rest our feet on the stage. We could have shaken hands with Dave and the other musicians, but they were busy.

They played tunes from Dave's latest CD, Mountain Passages, with his latest band, which features: reeds, cello, tuba, and drums. He also featured songs that haven't been recorded yet. It was a great concert. I hate trying to describe music, because especially in the case of Mr. Douglas, it's so abstract. Yes, this dynamite band created moods, painted tonal pictures, but they also swung like crazy, something any self-respecting jazz musician had better be able to do.

I constantly marvel at what Douglas can do with the unusual ensembles he creates. The first Dave Douglas CD I ever bought was The Tiny Bell Trio, Live in Europe. I was amazed at the music and the beauty he created with a trumpet, electric guitar and drums. I suppose it's all in the compositions. Duke Ellington wrote with specific musicians in mind. Dave might do the same thing. Whatever he does, it works.

After the show, he was peddling the new release, so I bought one, which he graciously signed. Buy it. It's great.

Labels: Dave Douglas, jazz

posted by Harry @ 8:27 PM