Freak In

by

Dave Douglas

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The prodigal, unbridled talents of Dave Douglas come into fullest flower on this absolutely stunning disc. Gone, thankfully, are the puerile politics (well, perhaps not gone, but at least not trumpeted, so to speak, as on Witness). Gone is the sterile academic playing. Gone is the bloated experimentation. Here, at last, after a decade of wild vascillattion between genius and tomfoolery, Dave Douglas emerges from the fray as the reigning heavyweight jazz champ.

The results are everywhere to be heard on this unspeakably brilliant disc. From the ominous thudding industrial noise of "Eastern Parkway" to the gorgeous pastoral rhapsody of "November," featuring the elegiac sax/trumpet duet of Douglas and Chris Speed, the latter playing his tenor is such a fashion as to sound remarkably like an open trumpet, undergirt by a bubbling, chunky-funky slow rhythmic burn and overlaid with tasty electronics and guitar stylings. From the mesmeric eastern-flavored "Porto Alegre," once again showcasing stunning trumpet/sax passages, this time featuring Seamus Blake, to the hypnotic groove of "Maya," perhaps the best example of integrating electronics with earthy beat-elements (indeed, Karsh Kale's neo-Indian tabla playing gives the entire proceedings a firmly grounded foundation out of which exotic flights of fancy seem naturally to (a)rise), Freak In is one of the most stunning, diverse musical statements ever recorded. Special mention must be made of "Traveler There Is No Road." Clocking in at almost eight minutes, it's the longest piece on the disc, and positioned last (except for the mysterioso bonus track, "The Mystic Lamb," that fades in after nearly two minutes of silence) naturally sums up and puts a cap on this most ambitious disc, displaying effectively the full range of this remarkable unit's virtuosity. "The Mystic Lamb" is uncredited, I take it, because it's the logical next step for Douglas, with its eerie combination of electronics and stately Church (or Temple) motifs perhaps pointing the way forward toward an even more adventurous music.

A note about the leader's playing: Douglas has been criticized for being technically brilliant but lacking soul. I've felt that way myself in relation to some of his past efforts, especially Leap of Faith and (ironically, given its title) Soul on Soul. Yet, it's hard to fault him, especially if one thinks of these earlier outings as testing grounds for what gloriously emerges on this disc. Here, without sacrificing one whit of technique, he seems to be more concerned to create beguiling soundscapes than flaunt his chops. No, he'll never be as irreverent and playful as, say, Lester Bowie, but neither will he be mistaken for Wynton Marsallis.

Much has been made of the burgeoning "electo-acoustic" movement in jazz. Indeed, a recent jazz magazine devoted its cover article to "jazztronica," with Douglas prominently featured along with Brad Mehldau, Matthew Shipp, Springheel Jack, and others. A big issue here is the use of real-time vs. studio-generated electronics. As Douglas points out in that article, that's not the point. What he calls the flow of the music, is. And with Freak In he's achieved not only what to these ears is some kind of ur-statement of highest quality yet listener-friendly jazztronica, but a musical masterpiece in any genre.