Strange Liberation - Dave Douglas

Dec

22

Strange Liberation - Dave Douglas

≡ Category: 2000s, Post Bop, Recommended, Reviews |
≅ Written by: Michael Kydonieus

JAZZBO NOTES RECOMMENDED RECORDING

Rating:

On Strange Liberation, Dave Douglas tackles one of the toughest problems in modern music — how to make the best use of guitarist Bill Frisell. The answer: don’t give him a lot of room to improvise in, unless you’re talking about impressionistic fills.

For example, on the title cut, Frisell is allowed to solo for several minutes over a groove. Taken by itself, the solo is puerile at best, but Frisell is cushioned by the urbane comping of Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes. The gently undulating groove from bassist James Genus and drummer Clarence Penn always gives you something interesting to listen to, and once in a while, Douglas drops in a through composed section with himself and saxophonist Chris Potter in the front line. The overall effect is that Frisell is simply adding color even though he’s improvising. What’s going on around Frisell is always more interesting that what he’s contributing, so he fades into the background. It’s an ingenious solution.

And so it goes. On Skeeter-Ism, Frisell is given very specific business to do. But just his open string sound is specific enough to give the flavor of Americana that Douglas is after. And Douglas’ crack band is always there to protect Frisell from his most insipid impulses.

I’ve never thought of this before, but listening to Strange Liberation, you become aware that Dave Douglas has often utilized American folk music as source material for his compositions and inspiration for his arrangements, so it’s only natural that he would eventually tap Bill Frisell for his ability to evoke the sounds of the Midwestern United States.

As always, Douglas’ compositions are thoughtful. Strange Liberation is a pensive date, like much of Douglas’ work, and invites contemplation.

Which isn’t to say that there isn’t any fire. On Seventeen, there is a busy bass groove over which Chris Potter and Uri Caine blow before a bridge that leads into the next solo section. For leader Dave Douglas’ trumpet solo, the band shifts into swing time for a bit before heading back into the form. Towards the end of the tune, there’s a ostinato that allows drummer Clarence Penn to bash away for a bit.

There’s also the relatively straightforward blues Rock of Billy. Douglas gives Frisell a bit too much rope here. Two choruses are too many for Frisell, who sounds blowsy as usual, but the tune recovers.

Douglas ends the date on a high note with the funk tune Catalyst. Douglas and Chris Potter use the one chord funk section of the tune to have some fun with harmonic substitutions in and around the tone center. When Frisell solos, he’s predictably lame, even with the great Uri Caine comping behind him on Fender Rhodes.

It just goes to show, even when someone as savvy as Dave Douglas uses Bill Frisell as a sideman, you can’t keep the leash too tight.