Album Review: Dave Douglas' 'Greenleaf Portable Series

Dave Douglas has emerged as one of the most forward-thinking and prolific musicians of his generation. In addition to an extensive discography and hundreds of compositions, Douglas is also an important advocate for younger musicians through his educational efforts at the Banff Centre in Canada, his curatorial efforts with the Festival of New Trumpet Music. Perhaps most importantly, Douglas supports younger musicians directly through hiring them to play in his numerous projects.

The most recent release by Douglas as a leader is a three-disc set of albums released on Douglas’ Greenleaf Records as the Greenleaf Portable Series. The recordings focus on short, informal sessions featuring Douglas with different groups in an effort to bring music quickly from the studio to the fans. Reminiscent of Miles Davis’ Workin,’ Steamin,’ Relaxin,’ and Cookin’ albums on Prestige Records which, according to jazz lore, were recorded in just two days and mostly in single takes. Many albums of the 1950s and 60s were recorded this way, and Greenleaf looks to this style of recording as a model.

The first of the Greenleaf Portable Series is Rare Metals with Brass Ecstasy, a brass quartet with drum set featuring Vincent Chancey on french horn, Luis Bonilla on trombone, Marcus Rojas on tuba, and Nasheet Waits on drums. This group honors parade brass band music, but Douglas brings in plenty of his own sounds as both a player and composer. The Douglas composition “Thread” begins with a squirming unison line played fast and loose, the musicians then chasing each other through randomized, rapid-fire bits of melodic material until they all arrive together at the end. Douglas’ arrangement of the Billy Strayhorn classic “Lush Life” is an understated gem as well.

Volume 2 of the series is Orange Afternoons with a traditional jazz quintet featuring Ravi Coltrane on Tenor Saxophone, Vijay Iyer on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Marcus Gilmore on drums. The short video of the session on the Greenleaf website shows the band playing through the melody of the Douglas composition “Orologi” in a one-room studio with hanging blankets separating the bass and piano from the louder horns and drums. The session looks the way it sounds: relaxed and intimate, like a jam session in someone’s living room. Fortunately for the listener, this is a jam session with all the polish that you expect from these players, but with the spontaneous feeling that comes from a band still getting acquainted with each other.

Volume three of the series is Bad Mango featuring Douglas along with the new music ensemble So Percussion. Douglas plays with a broader range of timbres than most trumpeters, making this band as natural a foil to the bandleader as it is unconventional. New and old compositions appear together here, with So Percussion’s Eric Beach, Adam Sliwinski, Jason Treuting, and Josh Quillen splitting up duties among a huge array of percussion instruments, synthesizers, and toys to create a texture that varies in complexity, and never leaves one missing the traditional rhythm section. Douglas’ “Witness,” the title composition from his 2001 album of the same name, features a droning synthesizer and raucous drums, providing a mysterious backdrop for Douglas’ equally enigmatic improvisations.

These three recordings are all high quality, surprisingly different, equally memorable. The extra material available with the purchase of the album, including videos, art and lots of photos with the hard copy, make this a worthwhile collection for any adventurous jazz fan.

Release Date:

• Rare Metals: June 21st, 2011
• Orange Afternoons: August 3rd, 2011
• Bad Mango: October 11th, 2011