To hear many hard bop hard-liners tell it, all avant-garde jazz is nothing more than atonal screaming. The problem with such sweeping generalizations is that some avant-garde jazz is, in fact, quite musical. A perfect example is
Dave Douglas'
Convergence, an experimental, adventurous outing that incorporates everything from classical and chamber music to Jewish, Middle Eastern, and East European music. Joined by violinist
Mark Feldman, cellist
Erik Friedlander, bassist
Drew Gress, and drummer
Michael Sarin, the New York-based trumpeter doesn't shy away from the eccentric and the unorthodox, but he also provides his share of discernible, substantial melodies. The inside/outside approach works impressively well on pieces ranging from
Douglas' "Goodbye Tony" (a passionate ode to the late drummer
Tony Williams), his
Miles Davis-influenced "Tzotzil Maya," and his probing "Meeting at Infinity" to the traditional Burmese song "Chit Kyoo Thwe Tog Nyin Hmar Lar" (to which he brings a strong Jewish element). You can hear a variety of influences in
Douglas' playing -- everyone from
Lester Bowie and
Don Cherry to
Miles Davis and
Booker Little -- but
Convergence leaves no doubt that he is very much an original himself. ~ Alex Henderson