A few years ago the trumpeter-composer Dave Douglas released “Be Still,” a beautifully poignant album made in response to the loss of his mother. The album also formally unveiled his new band, a young quintet with the creative resources to hit the ground running. “Brazen Heart,” Mr. Douglas’s assured new release, showcases the same group at a more advanced stage in its evolution, as he again tries to transcend grief with art. (read more at NYTimes)

Looking back over his incredibly prolific 22-year recording career, which has generated close to 40 albums under his leadership, you may find it difficult to remember that trumpeter Dave Douglas was something of a late bloomer. Born in 1963, he was a week away from turning 30 when he went into Sear Sound in midtown Manhattan to record Parallel Worlds, his debut on the Soul Note label. That noted, the New Jersey native was anything but a musical neophyte when he made that recording; he had been honing his sound since he was nine, including almost a decade on New York City’s downtown music scene. (read more at Soundstage Experience)