The original Spark of Being was a pure collaboration, Douglas's original music soundtracking Bill Morrissey's experimental film, which was loosely based on the Frankenstein story. The Expand edition frees the Keystone sextet from Morrissey's footage, and the music is predictably better and bolder as a result.

The influence of Miles Davis is pervasive here, the kinetic freebop of his second classic quintet, the creative electronic gauze and funky undertow of his late '60s work on In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, the tone-poetic matings with arranger Gil Evans, and, most of all, the intrepid innovation that forges new musical paths and textures without folly or a loss of identity. Some of the analogies are stark: Young drummers will (or should) fawn over Gene Lake's omnipresent yet never fulsome drumming (especially "Tree Ring Circus") the way earlier fans were in thrall to Miles's drummer Tony Williams; Adam Benjamin's Fender Rhodes creates a warm, spunky flavor that recalls, without imitating, Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul; and Douglas's trumpet work eschews brassy solos to concentrate on atmosphere and unique unison harmonies with saxophonist Marcus Strickland.

But don't downgrade Spark of Being: Expand as a mere Miles simulacrum. Douglas has used the… read more »