Named after late President Franklin Roosevelt’s four freedoms (freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear), Dave Douglas’ Four Freedoms follows the trumpeter/composer/label owner’s usual protocol: provide a set of sturdy original tunes to an exceptionally talented ensemble, and lead by example in balancing melody and improvisation.
Joined by pianist Marta Warelis, bassist Nick Dunston, and drummer/longtime pal Joey Baron, Douglas makes it easy to let yourself get carried away by the groove of “Sandhog,” which undulates like a hybrid of New Orleans and New York and gives Baron plenty of room to move – or to float on the river of “Militias,” whose brooding atmosphere and dreamlike melody let the quartet give voice to the uncertainty at play in the world. “My First Rodeo” starts as funk and evolves into bop, Baron’s inherent swing keeping the floor hot enough to make Douglas and Warelis tap dance. The leader takes out his mute for “Sing Sing,” reminding his musicians that speaking softly can sometimes make us hear the loudest voice. “Fire in the Firewood” turns the band loose, as Baron’s free rhythm and Warelis’ caffeinated improvisations run headlong into Dunston’s whirlwind bass and Douglas’ calm, cool presence on the horn.
For this hybrid live/studio record, Douglas lays out his conception of the four freedoms in a more abstract manner than the overtly political material in recent albums like Uplift and Engage. But that’s fine – Douglas has long been a master at producing tracks that allow the listener to fill in the blanks of meaning, and Four Freedoms is the leader and his latest crew at their mind-expanding best.
