Customer Reviews

Infinite

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Dave Douglas and his quintet have produced a fusion record -- a fusion of various sounds of Miles' bands from the '50s to the late '60s! Douglas has chosen 3 recent pop tunes to cover (potential "new standards" by Rufus Wainwright, Mary J. Blige, and Bjork), 2 of them ballads, a tried and true Miles move. Uri Caine plays electric piano throughout, lending the proceedings a late '60s ambience reminiscent of "Miles Smiles" and "In a Silent Way." Clarence Penn excels in the Tony Williams role. The sound is very much of a piece, like "Kind of Blue," and the recordings of Miles' '60s quintet. The tracks for "The Infinite" were laid down live, just like the KOB sessions. Douglas sounds quite Miles-ish here on trumpet, and his compositions remind me of Wayne Shorter and the sleek, progressive '60s Blue Note sound, which I love.

From the record company's website I learned that 1) Douglas says "Penelope" is his own favorite on the album, 2) "Yorke" is named for the Radiohead singer, and 3) Douglas was consciously striving to emulate Miles in making a "beautiful and direct" record. The playing is solid but understated, like "Kind of Blue," and also like that '59 classic, "The Infinite" is for the most part a romantic, evening hours set.

I have been following Douglas for several years now, and I am not quite as impressed with this one as his earlier more adventurous recordings such as "Constellations," with trumpet/guitar/drums, or the 3 recordings by the string quintet on Soul Note (check out "Five" and "Convergence"). But Dave Douglas is versatile and multi-faceted, and "The Infinite," his 4th record for RCA/Bluebird, has the potential to reach a much bigger audience with some excellent modern jazz. This would be a fine thing, not just for Douglas, but for the state of jazz, as Douglas is an innovator (even if not so much on this album), keeping jazz open to creative influences rather than trying to embalm it, mummified forever in formulaic styles of the past.

I agree with Dan d'Auteuil below in that there is something rather clinical about this. I think though that this record was one that Dave Douglas had to make (the Miles thing) and that now it is out of his system, the quintet (if they record again!), can go on to other things.... I bet it is a cracking live set though!
As an introduction to DD and his sound this is as good a place to start as any, although I personally prefer his compositional style in the context of the string group.
Having said all that, Penelope is amazing!!

I bought this album Friday afternoon, after work. I had never even heard of Dave Douglas I am ashamed to say, but love trumpet-driven jazz (Nicholas Payton, Erik Truffaz recent favorites). I was completely blown away and have played it pretty much non-stop through Monday morning. Infinite owes a lot to Miles but has its own separate form; the opening track (a pop cover) and 'Penelope' are standouts. He's got a great, great band together. The sound is somewhere between 'Nefertiti' and 'ESP', occasionally getting a leetle-beet funkier with that electric piano. I bought probably about 100 cd's last year...this makes the top ten, no problem.

this is a chill and understated work by dave douglas i enjoyed it quite a lot highly recommended

A few notes on this CD (which left me rather puzzled).

- At first listen : outstanding mastery (especially rhythm section). Impressive display of musicianship. Very tight and dynamic.
- However, the disc fails to thrill. Somewhat formulaic, resembling an academic exercise. I hate to admit it (being a great Douglas fan), but i have to force myself to listen to this one.
- A record which probably aims to appeal to a wider audience, but lacks the invention and sense of adventure of previous works (such as "Songs for wandering souls", "Charms of the night sky" or "Witness").
- Rooted in formulas from the sixties (as noted by other reviewers); Douglas seems to loose his own voice on this one.
- The bottom line : when I first heard "Kind of blue", I was more impressed by the music than by the chops...

Still, 4 stars, because I believe Douglas is one of the few real greats today. I guess I probably missed something here...

as another reviewer has mentioned, one of Dave Douglas's goals on this album was to pay homage to Miles Davis.

track #3 'Penelope' employs the melody line from 'Boplicity' (a Davis/Gil Evans co-composition, on which he took the pseudo-credit Cleo Henry - after the trumpeter's mother - first recorded by Miles on Birth Of The Cool) played s l o w l y - in contrast to the original's rapid bop pace - while Douglas' band/rhythm section chugs along funkily behind him with the 'Miles Runs The Voodoo Down' (recorded in 1969 on Bitches Brew) backbeat.

there are other coded and explicit nods to Miles' music within the collage of this beautifully recorded album . . . listen closely and enjoy.

Wow! What a cool album. I currently have two other Dave Douglas CD's, including Leap of Faith and Soul on Soul. This newest album, which according to Douglas is inspired by the music of [other band], is very different in style from previous albums, but also really, really good. First of all, while he does use many ideas from Miles Davis's 1960's groups (like the use of a fender rhodes, covers of pop songs, and reliance on complex percussion/bass rhythms) this record has a unique sound and is definitely not [another band]. There are some neat quotes from [other band]pieces, though, like in the track "Yorke," where Douglas sneaks in a riff from The Sorcerer. In my opinion, the coolest things about this album are:1) the great compositions by Douglas, which are challenging yet listenable;2) The solo's by Chris Potter (tenor sax) and Douglas; 3) the great funkiness of Uri Caine on the fender rhodes 4) the overall level of group dynamics 5) the fact that the album has very cohesive feel. The pop song covers are cool too (there are covers by Bjork, Rufus Wainright, and Mary J. Blige). I haven't heard the originals of these songs yet, but I really like the Mary J. Blige song. I would strongly recommend this record. It might require a few listenings to become familiar with it, but it's well worth it!

While this is a homage of sorts to Miles and uses pop tunes for incredible jazz voicings, hot and cool, make no mistake: As the astute and prescient Amazon review indicates, this is music made for the love of sonic creativity. If the first cut "Poses" scares the hardcore jazz fan: My Lord--smooth jazz from Dave Douglas!!! Then wait--and yes, there's Miles, but keep listening. And listen closely to what Chris Potter and Uri Caine do throughout. A terrible shame that this masterpiece is no longer available from the production company. Thanks, Amazon, for retaining the download link. Again, the secret is repeated listenings to music that may seem at first too familiar, too pleasing; but that's a trick that Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington used, too, to great affect. James Genus on bass and Clarence Penn on drums are always vital and resourceful. Listen to them behind Chris's great solo on "The Infinite." A powerhouse recording that only reveals itself as you allow it to do so.

This is quite a time for jazz-trumpet fans; Tom Harrell, one of the all-time greats, is with us, and Dave Douglas is rapidly storming the sanctuary. This newest CD of his is one of his most exciting and is one of the finest jazz recordings of recent years.

As the professional description provides, Douglas does pay tribute to Miles Davis, but in the subtlest and most effective way of all. Rather than playing tunes Miles made famous, or recreate specific settings, Douglas pays absolute tribute to the spirit and ideas that made Miles the great and important musician he was. In this case, that means the synthesis of jazz, rock and pop music that Miles pioneered so well, yet, like Miles, keeping it firmly in the jazz idiom and still speaking in an individual voice.

Douglas' voice is the most obvious part. His trumpet playing is scintillating; his sound is strong and open and his facility and fluidity of ideas are unsurpassed - his playing style is more in the manner of Art Pepper than Miles, but the close listener will pick up hints of a few of Miles old licks, incorporated in overall statements, not merely used to show-off. The band is excellent too, Chris Potter is an ideal foil, and the rhythm section is driving, as good in straight-eighths and swingtime. The use of electric piano and the the rhythmic, concise riffs of "The Infinite" certainly do put the ear in the era of Filles de Kilaminjaro, but this band cooks on its own merits. And there is real fire and imagination and commitment in all the playing, which is often urgent in expression.

The use of pop material is the most obvious tribute to Miles' ideas, but too many records feature mediocre, but popular, songs done poorly. Miles' pop music choices were always unexpected to those who focus on quantity, but the musical quality always shone through in Miles' respect for his own choices, and that is a feature of this CD, respectful, serious, imaginative use of the Rufus Wainwright, Mary J Blige and Bjork tunes as vehicle for this ensemble to play jazz. There's a nice touch of the use of the Douglas' own little closing vamp tunes, just like Miles' ends the sets on his live recordings.

One note for the engineering: I've found Douglas' lst couple RCA records to be a bit muddy and one-dimensional in the recorded/mixed sound, but this set is transparent, wide in range and really alive on the speakers or headphones. Every jazz fan should have this CD in their collection.

I bought this CD after hearing Dave Douglas live in NYC. Douglas is at the forefront of jazz creativity today, always paying respect to the past yet forging a style of his own. INFINITE shows off his patient improvisation and arranging skills. Particularly impressive is Douglas' supporting cast, esp. Chris Potter, a under-recognized saxaphonist who adds a great deal to this album. Uri Caine is also very enjoyable on Fender Rhodes piano. Some of the tunes will be abrasive to the softer-skinned jazz enthusiast, but are worth exploring. For a more soothing tune try "Poses", one of Douglas' arrangements that is sure to create a melodic experience you will not soon forget. I've listened to it dozens of times. Overall, great album.