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Dave Douglas: Gifts

by Stefano Merighi
L'origine della musica come dono. Così dice Dave Douglas, presentando il suo ultimo lavoro in quartetto, cercando di immaginare il rapporto tra artista e fruitore come scambio limpido e disinteressato. È un dono che il trombettista fa anche a Billy Strayhorn, mitico compositore, collaboratore aureo di Duke Ellington dei periodi più creativi. Come altre volte, infatti, Douglas individua una figura-chiave per la propria formazione e la omaggia ina maniera del tutto personale. Come già per Mary Lou Williams, ...
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by John Sharpe
Trumpeter Dave Douglas' talents as an improviser, composer and organizer are well known by now. In some ways the challenge for him is to find novel settings in which his abilities can be appreciated. If that is indeed an issue, then he has aced the test on Gifts, with a quartet that often sounds like a much larger ensemble, thanks to Rafiq Bhatia's widescreen guitar FX, man-of-the-moment tenor saxophone star James Brandon Lewis and drummer Ian Chang. ...
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by Mark Corroto
When does one become an elder statesman in jazz? Is it a function of age? Awards? Discography? While that question is up for debate, it is beyond doubt that Dave Douglas is an éminence grise, except one who definitely does not work behind the scenes. When did he achieve this status? Was it when he was awarded a Guggenheim? Or the Doris Duke Performing Artist Award? Maybe it was when he started the label Greenleaf Music. A better case can ...
Continue ReadingDave Douglas: Gifts

by Glenn Astarita
Dave Douglas' Gifts emerges not merely as a collection of tracks but as an opulent gala in honor of the eternal essence of music, welcoming audiences across the spectrum of generations to partake in its celebration. This project is akin to a masterfully blended concoction of shared human emotions and experiences, articulated through the universal dialect of melodies that defy time constraints. It is a sonic tour de force, intricately weaving together the threads of history, the present and what ...
Continue ReadingDave Douglas: Marching Music

by Angelo Leonardi
Gli intenti che stanno alla base del nuovo disco di Dave Douglas e la data di registrazione sono significativi. Come scrive il trombettista nelle note di copertina, il progetto è stato concepito come musica da ascoltare in cuffia durante le manifestazioni di protesta a favore del clima, dei diritti civili e di tutte le altre azioni a sostegno della giustizia sociale. Si potrebbe pensare che sia stato registrato nella primavera dello scorso anno, a seguito delle rivolte ...
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