Customer Reviews

Freak in

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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.

The standout musicians in the downtown NYC jazz/improvisational scene -- Uri Caine, John Zorn, Marc Ribot, Dave Douglas, John Medeski, Susie Ibarra, and so on -- do the delicate experimentalist's dance on the borderline between a catholic interest and a tiring dilettantism. The best of them string the essentials of improvisational musicianship, a strong individual voice and a gift for melody, through their wide-ranging work.

Dave Douglas is an unimpeachable improviser. His sound is instantly recognizable and inherently pleasing, his gift for melody constant and funny. He's got a fast...sense of humor and a fairly massive brain. His statements are both consistent and consistently surprising, and he has a talent for banding together with similarly talented folks.

Freak In participates in a few of the hot current trends in eclectic improvisation: 70s Miles revivalism, drum and bass, random electronica. What's so new about the compositional styles? Hey, not much. But the Stanley Crouch fan(s) in this crowd can bite me. Does Stanley Crouch criticize Wynton's 85th trad recording? No. Why? Well, probably because Wynton's at the center of the jazz trad establishment, for one, but more importantly, because for Crouch certain genres are *okay* to embrace whole-heartedly, whereas in others you'd really better be doing something new and outdoing Miles, because the genre as it exists now does not pass his muster.

If you're really arguing about which traditions are okay to bask in, and which aren't, then you're not saying very much of interest. Traditions, genres, are great because of who helps to define and expand them. Dave's is a voice that I happily welcome into whatever genres he takes a shine to, because (for now, at least) his energy, melodicism, and wit can anchor whatever experiments he puts to tape.

There's a reason Dave Douglas is widely recognized as one of the premier jazz artists of this era: He consistently produces outstanding material that is jazz-to-the-core, while refusing to limit himself to what purists believe jazz "can or can't be". There's no doubt that "Freak In" is jazz, but it's so much more. It's a collection of sounds and ideas whose end result is a musical celebration. Think Mingus' "Black Saint and the Sinner Lady". Think MMW's "Combustication". Now you've got it, and at the center of it all is Douglas' lyrical trumpet. "Freak In" confirms my belief that jazz is in good hands and is as strong as ever.

In a time of both slavish traditionalism and eclectic multi-genre hopping, there are precious few current jazz artists with a truly unique voice. Trumpeter, composer, Grammy-nominee and Downbeat poll winner Dave Douglas is one of those voices. His pieces are as incomparable as anything written by Charles Mingus or Henry Threadgill.

In addition to his long-standing smaller acoustic units, Douglas has become increasingly interested in larger electro-acoustic ensembles, involving samplers and drum machines as well as keyboards and electric guitars. 2001's Witness was the first such unit (other than his short-lived Sanctuary project), and this new album bears many similarities to it. But this project uses an instrument heretofore unused by Mr. Douglas... the modern recording studio.

Studio manipulation of jazz recordings goes all the way back to the post-war efforts of Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Miles Davis. But where those artists merely used the studio as a creative editing tool, here Douglas uses it as both an editor and manipulator. Instruments are fed through software and processing to marvelous effect. The effect is unlike any previous album in Dave's discography.

All this may not seem terribly innovative, what with recent similar releases by Matthew Shipp, Bill Laswell, Derek Bailey, Tim Hagans and numerous others. DJ culture, drum 'n' bass and electronica have been genres of curiosity for jazz artists for quite some time now. All these explorations can be traced back to the '70s work of Miles Davis, whose influence inevitably arises on this album.

From the robotic mutant funk of "Eastern Parkway" to the frenetic drum 'n' bass workouts of the title track and "The Great Schism" to the sprightly free-bop of "The Hot Club of 13th Street", there is no lack of energy on this record. Sublime examples of Douglas' melodic writing include standout cuts like the gorgeous "Maya" and majestic "Porto Alegre". "Wild Blue" and bonus track "The Mystic Lamb" conjure an electrically inspired take on AACM-based free-jazz.

And what of Miles Davis, then? I'm sure there will be critics who will invoke the master at any turn to cajole the masses into believing this to be yet another crafty marketing ploy to sell the album in the great man's shadow. But I disagree. Sure, the influence of Miles Davis and John McLaughlin can be heard in the opening assault of "Freak In" and the nasty blues grind of "Black Rock Park". And both pieces can be traced back to roots on Miles' own Big Fun and Live/Evil albums respectively. "Traveler There Is No Road" and "The Great Schism" have their moments of Davis-inspired verve, but that is where the similarities end, and the lion's share of the album is Douglas, pure and simple.

Freak In is an incredibly diverse cross section of Douglas' writing abilities, yet it never sounds like an amateurish collage, or worse, opportunistic trend-hopping. Jazztronica some may say. I say don't believe the hype. Listen for yourself and hear the sound of the future.

Troy Collins
Junkmedia Magazine Review

In a time of both slavish traditionalism and eclectic multi-genre hopping, there are precious few current jazz artists with a truly unique voice. Trumpeter, composer, Grammy-nominee and Downbeat poll winner Dave Douglas is one of those voices. His pieces are as incomparable as anything written by Charles Mingus or Henry Threadgill.

In addition to his long-standing smaller acoustic units, Douglas has become increasingly interested in larger electro-acoustic ensembles, involving samplers and drum machines as well as keyboards and electric guitars. 2001's Witness was the first such unit (other than his short-lived Sanctuary project), and this new album bears many similarities to it. But this project uses an instrument heretofore unused by Mr. Douglas... the modern recording studio.

Studio manipulation of jazz recordings goes all the way back to the post-war efforts of Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk and Miles Davis. But where those artists merely used the studio as a creative editing tool, here Douglas uses it as both an editor and manipulator. Instruments are fed through software and processing to marvelous effect. The effect is unlike any previous album in Dave's discography.

All this may not seem terribly innovative, what with recent similar releases by Matthew Shipp, Bill Laswell, Derek Bailey, Tim Hagans and numerous others. DJ culture, drum 'n' bass and electronica have been genres of curiosity for jazz artists for quite some time now. All these explorations can be traced back to the '70s work of Miles Davis, whose influence inevitably arises on this album.

From the robotic mutant funk of "Eastern Parkway" to the frenetic drum 'n' bass workouts of the title track and "The Great Schism" to the sprightly free-bop of "The Hot Club of 13th Street", there is no lack of energy on this record. Sublime examples of Douglas' melodic writing include standout cuts like the gorgeous "Maya" and majestic "Porto Alegre". "Wild Blue" and bonus track "The Mystic Lamb" conjure an electrically inspired take on AACM-based free-jazz.

And what of Miles Davis, then? I'm sure there will be critics who will invoke the master at any turn to cajole the masses into believing this to be yet another crafty marketing ploy to sell the album in the great man's shadow. But I disagree. Sure, the influence of Miles Davis and John McLaughlin can be heard in the opening assault of "Freak In" and the nasty blues grind of "Black Rock Park". And both pieces can be traced back to roots on Miles' own Big Fun and Live/Evil albums respectively. "Traveler There Is No Road" and "The Great Schism" have their moments of Davis-inspired verve, but that is where the similarities end, and the lion's share of the album is Douglas, pure and simple.

Freak In is an incredibly diverse cross section of Douglas' writing abilities, yet it never sounds like an amateurish collage, or worse, opportunistic trend-hopping. Jazztronica some may say. I say don't believe the hype. Listen for yourself and hear the sound of the future.

(This review was originally written for the online webzine: junkmedia.org, and was published there March 14, 2003)

Wo! I've been exploring along jazz records in the Amazon web page and came up with this one in particular. It's been real fun to read its reviews because as far as I understand there is this Mr. Crouch who writes for a Jazz magazine and criticized Douglas on racial terms. It seems that some Amazon reviewers spent lots of time writing about this recording. Through reading them I felt like in a debate. Quite interesting, for the reviewers here know what they are talking about: Not like me! Heck, I'm an ignorant jazz lover, besides I'm white or rather latin american. In respect to Mr. Crouch's theory, due to my ethnicity, I wouldn't know darn anything about jazz.
I really don't care for I enjoy Douglas's music and find he is as good a trumpeter as Miles Davis or Mr. Marsalis who are highly promoted by our friend Crouch here. What a regretful thing that at this point in global history, performance in musicmanship is still rated in terms of race rather than skill.
Pleaase! Oh! and to the estimated reviewer who quoted Louis Armstrong on his explanataion of Jazz, yep, Jazz is unexplainable and maybe Douglas's music is but really who cares if it was practiced and designed to sound the way it does. I prefer it a million times more than obnoxious, loud and anoying improvisation by lazy and greedy musicians who spent no time whatsoevber in studios, puting up crappy albums and later daring to sell them for the same price as those that did invest in studios and lots of sessioning.

Hearing Dave on his last album, "The Infinite", could easily give anyone the idea that he is always trying to find ways to move forward. His solos and compositions are always on the edge, striving to make new noise and coming off as highly original. His selection of the covers on that album were also very fresh, including Bjork's "Unison", which gives us the treat of hearing Chris Potter play some sweet bass clarinet.

Mr. Douglas's new album, "Freak In", is a step in a different direction. As opposed to co-fronting a standard quintet (with the exception of Uri Caine playing Fender Rhodes instead of acoustic piano), each cut is set in it's particular mood by different instrumentations, styles, rhythms, etc. The rhythm section consistently creates the perfect foundation for each tune through dynamic drumming on both the standard set as well as tabla. In fact, there's tabla on almost every track! It almost seems to push the music even further forward without using cheesy dance club beats to produce the same effect.

Douglas's tunes sound familiar compared to The Infinite; however they lean towards a rock/fusion intention. Helping to make a clearer (or muddier, depending on your impression) distinction of the genre of this music is the versatile guitar playing of both Marc Ribot (electric) and Romero Lubambo (acoustic). Taking your full attention when you least expect it, these two individuals make this album as close to a cross-over sort of effort as any musicians could. Ribot's playing is intelligent and turbulent, wheras Lubambo seems to tingle and bubble above the hot rhythm section.

Douglas himself is able to show off his musicality and general musicianship throughout the album. His high range, clear tone, and sweet sound are of envy to any brass musician. There is just the right amount of notes here - perfectly interpreted, each song yields strong solos from each musician.

The only thing questionable to the listener as they begin to experience their Freak In is the use of electronics on this album. However, no fear is needed - there are NO cheesy cliches that you need to avoid. Every bit of digtal noise helps strengthen the music it is participating in, although you'll be prone to find some of it down right humorous! (For example, "Hot Club..." takes a standard bop-propelled line and takes it into space)

Music of the future that has one foot on the ground. That's what I call it. And no matter what label you attatch to it, you'll find that Freak In is among the records helping to stray from cookie cutter albums.

Dave Douglas has many masterpieces, this is his electronic masterpiece. There are a lot of synthetic textures - bleeps, static & squeals. The rhythms are played by people, sometimes with electronic (but not looped!) instruments. I think that's the secret to this album's success. The wild percussion on "The Great Schism" would be sampled and looped on other people's albums, but they're virtuoustically played on this one (by Ikue Mori?). The songwriting is strong, and Dave's trumpet is strong as well. His playing is high-pitched and frenetic when appropriate (e.g. "The Great Schism"), and calm and beautiful in other places. This is an adventurous album that succeeds very well.

From the very first sound of tablas and electronic effects "Freak In" might not seem like a jazz album, but with Douglas, who has recorded everything from Klezmer to straight-ahead to covers of Rufus Wainwright, this hardly matters. Douglas' pristine trumpet and Marc Ribot's eclectic guitar rise above the mix of loops and effects and convince the listener that there is someone in control on this amazing ride through Douglas' combination of 70's Miles Davis, drum and bass, blues, post-bop and electronica.

Dave Douglas does it again with another fantastic effort by his new group on "Freak In." This album will make you rethink what you thought you knew about jazz, improvisation, rock, hip-hop, and life. Even though the number of personell this album seem like a lot, no one ever gets in the way of eachother. The level of the compositions on this album are as high as you could ever expect. which is typical of Dave's work. The level of musicianship is equally as high, if not higher, than that of the compositions. I could not say enough good things about this album, these musicians, or Dave Douglas. This album has tracks to chill out to, to dance to, to be inspired by, and to make you seem like you're a lot cooler than you are. If you like this album, which you will, check out ALL of Dave's stuff. There is no album I wouldn't recommend. Oh, and as far as the Stanley Crouch debate goes, please save it for another forum.