REVIEW Dave Douglas at Toronto Jazz Festival

Wednesday June 30, 2010

from Eyeweekly.com

Dave Douglas and Bill Morrison’s perfect marriage
By Dave Morris

The union of music and film is, like most marriages, usually about compromise. Dave Douglas and experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison’s project, Spark of Being, is one of those true partnerships that the rest of us regard with envy and awe — where both halves are complete and robust on their own, and function just as well together.

Douglas cuts a slightly neurotic figure, with even his wardrobe split between silly (a Spanish soccer jersey with matching red-and-yellow shoes) and serious (a suit jacket over the jersey). In his between-set banter, he seemed slightly halting and nervous, but the hallmark of his playing was its firmness. The trumpeter unfurled long, intricate spools of melodic variations, teasing out and exploiting the tensions and uncertainties in his songs. The pairing with Morrison’s film — largely consisting of early 20th century–era green-tinted footage of possibly Russian pioneers, as well as some more impressionistic effects — was inspired, with the moods of Douglas’ compositions ranging from mostly bucolic (echoing the landmark mid-’60s albums by Miles Davis’ second quintet, as well as hints of In A Silent Way) to utterly frantic themes brought to churning, explosive life by drummer Gene Lake and bassist Brad Jones.

Read the entire review here

I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (live)	7:32	Dave Douglas
Fats (live)	3:36	Dave Douglas

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Sound Prints EPK
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The View from Blue Mountain

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