PRE-ORDER: Dave Douglas ‘Songs of Ascent’
Wonderful to be releasing the pre-order for the new album from the Dave Douglas, Songs of Ascent: Book 1 – Degrees!
The album will be release on CD and digital on October 7th, and it features his longstanding quintet featuring saxophonist Jon Irabagon, pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist Linda May Han Oh, and drummer Rudy Royston. Comprising all original Douglas compositions, the repertoire is all written around Psalms 120-134 – known collectively as the “Songs of Ascent” – fascinating, somewhat mysterious works. Let Me Go, the only exception, was written on the day Dave decided to begin the project. Recorded remotely, the music is high energy and introspective at the same time. Check out full album details below.
Listen to the first single, “Lift Up My Eyes,” by watching the video below or pre-order or listen here. It’s also available on artist-friendly Bandcamp here.
We’ll also be releasing a companion album exclusively for subscribers on release day, so join now to get in on all of this great music and more!
Album details:
Liner Notes:
This quintet began playing together in 2011, so it was uplifting for me that we could come together again from our separate spaces to record this suite. Inspired by the biblical psalms, I wrote these while I was in the process of making Secular Psalms, wanting to go and revisit all the originals. There are 15 psalms known as Songs of Ascent. These psalms are fascinating, somewhat mysterious and inspiring. Each of these pieces was written as a reflection of one of these psalms, with the exception of the first one, which I wrote somewhat impulsively on the day I decided to do this. In my excitement and haste, I neglected to give it a number. So there are 16 pieces in all. 8 are on this disc. The subsequent 8 are on a companion disc subtitled Steps, which will be immediately available to members of Greenleaf Music. Thank you all for your support! One small point of info about this set: I recorded all my parts first.
– Dave Douglas
Dave Douglas, trumpet
Jon Irabagon, reeds
Matt Mitchell, piano
Linda May Han Oh, bass
Rudy Royston, drums
Production Credits:
Executive Producer: Dave Douglas
Written in May 2020 and recorded over the following year
Recorded by each musician in their home
Assembled by Dave Douglas and Tyler McDiarmid
Mixed and mastered by Tyler McDiarmid
Graphic design by Lukas Frei
All compositions and arrangements by Dave Douglas (Dave Douglas Music / BMI)
