Prolific trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas announces the release of Transcend, featuring his all-star GIFTS Quintet. Blending electronics, lyricism, and high-energy interplay, the ensemble operates at full force, driven by a clear spiritual vision. Transcend releases April 24, 2026 on Greenleaf Music.

Following his 2024 release GIFTS – honoring Billy Strayhorn – Transcend continues Douglas’ exploration of legacy, spirituality, and ensemble innovation. Transcend features the same core group as GIFTS, including DownBeat Artist of the Year tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and two members of the Oscar-nominated post-rock trio Son Lux: guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang.  Expanded with the addition of cellist and MacArthur Genius Awardee Tomeka Reid, the quintet employs a radical new instrumentation.

Douglas’ new offering Transcend is created in observance of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts, landmark works performed between 1965-1973, and widely regarded as the spiritual culmination of Ellington’s career. Ellington famously reflected, “Every man prays in his own language, and there is no language that God does not understand.” Douglas draws inspiration from this ethos, by engaging with the spirit of openness, reverence, and humanity. Dave remarks in the liner notes:

“Whatever it was that Duke Ellington connected with in creating his Sacred Concerts, it burst forth with extraordinary new music. There is much scholarship on Ellington’s spiritual journey. In the music, his directness towards the holy, the sacred inside and outside the church, his humor and grace in the face of the human condition— this is the legacy of a towering figure in Black American music who knew these would be among his last works.”

Transcend features new original compositions alongside three Ellington works, newly reimagined for this extraordinary ensemble. The album opens with a loving arrangement of Ellington’s classic sacred piece and focus track “Come Sunday”. Originally composed as part of Ellington’s 1943 “Black, Brown and Beige Suite”, Douglas presents a soulful interpretation punctuated by slinky guitar lines, smoky trumpet melodies and chorale-like harmonies from saxophone and cello. “Come Sunday” sits alongside other Ellington classics including a dreamlike version of “Heaven” and an infectiously groovy reworking of “Oclupaca”.

The first single “Energy Fields” surges with a seriousness and depth reflective of the album’s subject matter. Saxophone and trumpet melodies cascade over rumbling cello tremolos, otherworldly guitar effects and evocative percussion. Rock-steady riffs emerge from guitarist Bhatia and cellist Reid, driving the piece forward. On “Energy Fields” Douglas draws inspiration from visual artist Jack Whitten, who dedicated one of his slab pieces to Duke Ellington.

“Whitten dedicated one of his slab pieces to Ellington, and in turn several of my compositions here are inspired by Whitten and his process. In his painting “Golden Spaces,” Whitten drew inspiration from a conversation with John Coltrane, about waves and a search for sheets of light and energy fields.” – Dave Douglas

Reminiscent of Ellington’s work, the second single “Gentle Collapse” shimmers with quiet beauty. The result is a meditative soundscape that lingers, revealing the ensemble’s sensitivity to space, nuance, and collective breath. A poignant muted trumpet solo sweeps over textured percussion, eventually joined by guitar ostinatos before giving way to an impassioned saxophone solo from James Brandon Lewis. As it evolves into tempo, Ian Chang masterfully carries the beat along through endless permutations and shape-shifting improvisations. Unique in instrumentation, the Gifts Quintet that Douglas has assembled conspires to create a unique atmosphere on this original piece.

To celebrate the release of Transcend, GIFTS Quintet will perform at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee on March 29. Douglas will also appear in Knoxville with his long-term associates John Zorn, Greg Cohen and Joey Baron in John Zorn’s Masada. This will be followed by a residency at the renowned Village Vanguard in New York from May 12-17.

Looking to the sacred past while embracing the spiritual gift of artistic creation, Transcend communicates wonder, awe and connection – a reconciliation between spirit and craft, and between the individual and community.

“The feeling that you are part of the holy, the numinous, that art is a communion with that mysterious spirit. No matter how mundane the circumstance, there is always deep love and meaning. You always want to be trying new things, learning. Every day is a gift.” – Dave Douglas

Transcend releases on April 24, 2026 via Greenleaf Music. GIFTS Quintet performs at Big Ears Festival on March 29. Following the album release, the quintet performs at the esteemed Village Vanguard, New York, May 12-17

Track Listing:

1. Come Sunday 7:02
2. Energy Fields 7:55
3. Gentle Collapse 5:33
4. Curious Species 8:18
5. Argle-Bargle 5:48
6. Oclupaca 4:41
7. Slabs 8:43
8. Transcend 8:33

Personnel:

Dave Douglas, trumpet
Tomeka Reid, cello
James Brandon Lewis, tenor sax
Rafiq Bhatia, guitar
Ian Chang, drums

Production Credits:

Produced by Dave Douglas for Greenleaf Music

Recorded by Chris Allen on August 18 and 19, 2025, at Second Take Sound, NYC
Mixed and mastered by Tyler McDiarmid

All compositions by Dave Douglas (Dave Douglas Music BMI), except tracks 1, 4 and 7 by Duke Ellington

Photography by Anna Yatskevitch
Graphic design by Lukas Frei

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