Dave Douglas: Songs For Wandering Souls

Dave Douglas

Songs For Wandering Souls (Winter & Winter)

Nowadays, it's hard not to hear Dave Douglas in some context or other. Besides being a much-in-demand sideman, the sanguine trumpeter fronts several different, unorthodox small groups of his own, and records for a variety of acclaimed independent record labels. Although he's barely known to the jazz public at large, Douglas is currently the jazz critics' darling; he garnered significant critical acclaim at the Jazz Awards in NYC recently, walking off with four high-profile awards including Musician, Innovator/Explorer, Trumpeter, and Composer of the Year. Of all Douglas' various projects, his Tiny Bell Trio perhaps evinces these talents best. Teamed with drummer Jim Black and guitarist Brad Shepik, the trio has been described in some quarters as a jazz/Balkan/improv ensemble. As the title implies, Songs for Wandering Souls evokes contemplative, oddly textured, and sometimes unsettling soundscapes. These sounds are often strikingly intimate, with an intriguing interaction between the players; in particular, the trumpet and guitar complement each other nicely in light of the absence of a bassist. Douglas' trumpet playing is obviously the focal point here, as it weaves, probes, agitates, and ultimately soothes. The two covers in this set, one by Rahsaan Roland Kirk, the other by Robert Schumann, illustrate the wide range of influences that inform Douglas' work. It's his original compositions, however, "Sam Hill," "At Dusk," "Loopy," and especially the title track that capture the ear with their alternating impressionistic beauty and off-kilter edginess. This is music that by no means swings in the traditional sense, but rather finds its own pulse and rhythms as do the nomadic spirits who inspired this music.