Present Joys

Present Joys

Trumpeter Dave Douglas and Uri Caine have often crossed musical paths over the last 20 years, particularly on several of Douglas' albums, but this is the first duo album they’ve done together. Two players who share an eclectic approach to music, they draw on the sacred harp-singing tradition for their discussion. They seemingly pick up where Douglas’s excellent Be Still left off—that 2012 album used a small jazz band to explore inspirational music or new music fitting alongside it. Tunes from the actual sacred harp tradition that seem to work best include the bluesy title track, the almost baroque “Soar Away,” and the elegiac “Bethel.” The gospel-ized original “Zero Hour” is a highlight for Caine, while Douglas clearly illustrates the shaped-note approach to singing with his trumpet on the jaunty “Seven Seas” and “Confidence.” An unqualified success, this chat is as sensitive and earthy as it is challenging and inspiring.

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