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Doug MacDonald: Overtones
by Jack Bowers
The term “all-star" is not one to be used lightly. Be that as it may, the appellation fits guitarist Doug MacDonald's Los Angeles-based octet as snugly as a glove; he and his colleagues are among the finest, most experienced and in-demand musicians on the West Coast. On Overtones, recorded in September 2021, the ensemble shows its mastery by gracefully skating through seven of MacDonald's upbeat themes and one standard, Ram Ramirez' ardent “Lover Man." Three of MacDonald's ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Serenade to Highland Park
by Richard J Salvucci
According to Kirk Silsbee, noted jazz writer and student of the LA jazz scene, Highland Park is “mainly Latino, though working-class art types live there and have their studios there. And it's at the foot of Mt Washington, a place for arty affluence." Well, if Highland Park is the new trendy place to be, and the standards and selected originals by Doug McDonald give you a feel for what is on offer in the neighborhood, it sounds like ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Overtones
by Richard J Salvucci
Some of you may well remember Arthur Conley's 1967 chart-topper, “Sweet Soul Music." The lyrics began with the imperishable line, “Do you like good music?" That may resonate with listeners of a certain age, because Overtones: Doug MacDonald and the L.A. All Star Octet certainly qualifies as “good music." What is it about West Coast stuff inflected with Birth of the Cool? It somehow never gets old, even when a listener thinks, “Hmm. There may not be anything new here, ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Overtones
by Edward Blanco
Los Angeles-based guitarist Doug MacDonald just happens to be one of the most active recording musicians in the country, with three releases in 2021 alone and at least two more dating back to 2019. Add to that list, this 2022 recording of Overtones and you can understand MacDonald's devotion to producing music as evidenced by his large discography. A prolific composer, MacDonald's eight-track repertoire consist almost entirely of original compositions, with the only exception being a fine rendition of Ram ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald and the L.A. All-Star Octet: Overtones
by Jack Bowers
Doug MacDonald's mind is as active as his fingers. The Los Angeles-based guitarist divides his time between writing and playing, and he writes as well as he plays, which is impeccably. Overtones, on which he leads an All-Star Octet (we checked, and all-star is precisely the proper term), is MacDonald's fourth album in the last year or so and twentieth-plus over-all. As is generally the case, most of the songs are his (seven of eight), and they are consistently bright ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Serenade to Highland Park
by Jack Bowers
On Serenade to Highland Park, three consummate professionals salute the Los Angeles neighborhood in which the album was recorded. The three are guitarist Doug MacDonald, bassist Mike Flick and drummer Paul Kreibich, each of whom is among the best-known and busiest jazz musicians on the West Coast. Listening to them play is akin to catching a set by the Jeff Hamilton Trio, with MacDonald's bright and nimble guitar replacing Tamir Hendelman's always trim and engaging piano. A ...
Continue ReadingDoug MacDonald: Live in Hawaii
by Jack Bowers
Here is a guitar-led quartet with a couple of fresh angles. First, instead of using a piano, guitarist Doug MacDonald has enlisted vibraphonist Noel Okimoto to provide the harmonic counterpoint; and second, Philadelphia-born MacDonald has temporarily forsaken his decades-long base in Southern California to return “home" to Hawaii, where he began his professional career performing with Trummy Young, Gabe Baltazar and Del Courtney. What is not new but nonetheless welcome is MacDonald's superior command of his instrument, ...
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