Riverside

Dave Douglas has done several excellent (and often left-field) tributes over years. Here the trumpeter joins up with the Doxas brothers of Canada (Chet on reeds and Jim on drums), as well as iconic electric bassist Steve Swallow for a tribute to influential saxophonist/composer Jimmy Giuffre. As with past Douglas tributes, the music here is more inspired by the tributee, with Giuffre’s probing and quietly adventurous approach to jazz molding the sound; “The Train and the River” is the only Giuffre composition here, and the only other cover is a barely recognizable version of the standard “Travellin’ Light.” A strong undercurrent of folk styles also comes through, with gospel informing such standouts as Chet Doxas’ “Old Church, New Paint” and Douglas’ upbeat “Thrush” and “Handwritten Letter.” Elsewhere, Douglas’ blues and bop “Big Shorty” features his best soloing, while the simmering Doxas composition “Sing on the Mountain High/Northern Miner” roils with a dark beauty and taut group interplay. Inspired and well executed, Riverside is one of the more unique-sounding albums so far in 2014.