July/November 2024

GIFTS QUARTET

DAVE DOUGLAS, trumpet. JON IRABAGON, tenor sax. RAFIQ BATHIA, guitar and electronics. IAN CHANG, drums and electronics.

From July 14th to 22nd

Trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas presents a new version of a recent project: Gifts Quartet featuring Jon Irabagon (tenor sax), Rafiq Bhatia (guitar) and Ian Chang (drums and electronics).
Featuring new, original, energy music-influenced compositions from Douglas, as well as inspirations from the life and music of Charles Lloyd. Gifts Quartet reflects on the wisdom, vision, and positivity of the composer and saxophonist in an innovative way, notably exploring Lloyd's fascination with the music of Billy Strayhorn. The quartet’s sound focuses on song form, emphasizing textural and timbral enhancement in service of each song.
Douglas has long considered his work to be a projection of societal possibility, where a musical ensemble is an allegory for how social justice can be enacted and promoted. In ways both explicit and implicit, Douglas' music speaks to the many struggles to be overcome in currently prevailing systems.
Gifts Quartet envisions a new sense of interaction through expression of song form, using sound and atmosphere as a field of action. develop and capture an improvisational process, the four musicians will realize their vision for the first time.
Gifts Quartet will tour Europe in July 2024, presenting a fresh take on the format that Douglas has featured extensively over the last times.

DAVE DOUGLAS QUARTET

DAVE DOUGLAS, trumpet. MARTA WARELIS, piano. NICK DUNSTON, bass. JOEY BARON, drums.

From 7th to 17th November

When Dave Douglas discovered the 15 biblical psalms of the “Song Of Ascents” for himself, the New York trumpeter and composer was immediately fascinated by the spiritual depth of this pilgrimage songbook. The fact that there are a total of 16 pieces of Douglas’ psalm settings has to do with the fact that he began writing without, however, having even read the psalms in their entirety. And he noticed this after the first piece was finished. While composing, he then also realised that he wanted to play his “Song Of Ascents” with a new quintet – with him and pianist Marta Warelis, bassist Nick Dunston and his old buddy on drums, Joey Baron. While in previous bands of the trumpeter not only but often also his fellow musicians were in the spotlight, this time it is different: The three band members collectively frame Douglas with their instruments with his radiant, crystalline trumpet playing and embed it in a spiritual, almost sacred environment to express confidence, trust and devotion with their intuitive interplay.