Witness

Dave Douglas | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 21, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00005NH0P
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #376,900 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Dave Douglas....woah, April 11, 2002

By 

Charlie Dresser "Bjork's Lover" (chicago area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness (Audio CD)

From the very first note of "witness" you may think to yourself "what on earth!?!". The sounds that this cd produces are just awesome! Its so exciting and outrageous to listen to this and it makes me jump inside. The selections are incredibley well-written, emulating hints of different styles everywhere you look. I love "one more news" and "witness" personally. But i'll have you know that i've listened to the first 5 songs so much, i haven't really had a chance to go to the last part of the cd yet. But so far, this cd sounds like another masterpiece in Dave's seemingly never-ending list of music-changing albums. If you love strangely cool and highly immaginitive sounds with expressive and passionate melodies, you NEED this album. you CRAVE this album. GET this album

9 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Perhaps premature in my assessment, August 25, 2001

By 

Stephen (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Witness (Audio CD)

As I put this one on I was just awestuck by its beauty and complexity at the same time. The instrumentation is a mix of his sextet and string groups with some "extras." Up until the long, episodic "Mafouz" Witness was shining brighter than anything this already accomplished musician-composer had previously done. Perhaps its a personal prejudice, but mixing spoken word, no matter how compelling, with music usually doesn't work for me. Maybe it will grow on me, but I find that even when I like speaking on musical pieces at first, once I am use to it it grows old fast. These piece reminds me of Zorn's "Spillane." The music on this album is incredible, I still recommend it as highly as any other of Douglas' works. With out "Mafouz" this is at least 7 or 8 stars out of five. WHo knows I might change my mind!

5.0 out of 5 stars carla bley meets luigi nono, March 24, 2007

By 

Case Quarter (CT USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Witness (Audio CD)

this was the first recording by dave douglas i heard. since then i've listened to, and bought, more than a half dozen recordings by him as well as seen his recent group, his quintet, live. with witness, douglas was at the top of his game.

the political essay and names from current events are groaners if you came just for the music. politics, except for a title or 2, don't intrude on the music, except for tom waits' wonderful voice droning the prose of the writer, mahfouz, on the 23 minute track named after him, inaudibly, which functions operatically similar to a foreign language. i was reminded of political texts spoken, chanted and sung on recordings by luigi nono. the music mahfouz reminds me of gary burton's genuine tong funeral as performed by carla bley.

the other tracks are of a similar tone.

maybe this recording should not be categorized as jazz. world music might be a better category. then witness does nod toward late miles davis, particularly aura, and if aura can be classified as jazz...the important thing is the music is on disc, and well worth the listening experience.