eMusic Review 0
It may not seem kind to refer to a man still in his 40s as an “elder statesman.” But trumpeter Dave Douglas has been setting jazz standards — developing and nurturing younger players who become stars in their own rights — and extending the music’s traditions since the late ’90s. Along the way, he has created a formidable body of work.
GPS Vol 2, Orange Afternoons, with the star power quintet of Ravi Coltrane on tenor, Vijay Iyer on piano, Linda Oh on bass and Marcus Gilmore on drums, ranks among his best efforts. Accessible and richly evocative, the album is structurally sophisticated in a way that conjures up comparisons to Miles Davis’s greatest band (the mid-1960s quintet). In fact, Douglas may be the most successful inheritor of that band’s legacy. That he’s by no means its most literal interpreter makes his understanding of the magical properties of the Davis group all the more impressive.
“The Gulf” starts the album off simply; an attractive theme followed by a stately trumpet solo. There’s a kind of forthrightness in Douglas’s playing — an emotional honesty — that always cuts to the heart of things. Ravi Coltrane follows. Ironically, it would… read more »
