NEW RELEASES: DAVE DOUGLAS – HIGH RISK; FOUR TET – MORNING EVENING; SONNY KNIGHT AND THE LAKERS - DO IT LIVE

DAVE DOUGLAS – HIGH RISK

Dave Douglas is a man of many colors – all of them great, and painted with the rich hues we've come to expect from his work on trumpet! This time around, Dave's got a group with a fair bit of electric elements – so much so, that the few acoustic elements come from Douglas' work on trumpet, and some bass and drums. All other elements are improvised and electronic – which makes for a very unusual setting for Dave's trumpet – one that's still quite jazz-based, but which often draws a lot from the strong interplay between the horn and the backdrops – a bit like older work by musicians like Jon Hassell or Tomasz Stanko, but far more focused and expressive than either of them. Where others might use the setting to slide into too-mellow, too-sloppy styles, Dave seems to get even sharper than usual – and really wows us with his interaction with the group! Titles include "Cardinals", "Tied Together", "High Risk", "First Things First", and "Molten Sunset".  Dusty Groove

FOUR TET – MORNING EVENING

Four Tet for the rising and setting sun – two evolving, hypnotic pieces that each roll to around or just past the 20 minute mark – and it's among the best we've heard from Kieran Hebden in years! "Morning Side" starts off with just stuttering, surprisingly clubby sounding beats and slowly builds into a gorgeous tapestry of of diverse sounds – with lovely vocals by Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar, warm use of synths, and slow-building mood. The beats drop off as it comes near the end, with some great, kinda proggy keys taking over. "Evening Side" has a lot subtler vibe, with similar elements done with a more minimalist approach for the first half, before bringing in some after hours beatcraft nearer the end. ~ Dusty Groove

SONNY KNIGHT AND THE LAKERS - DO IT LIVE

Powerhouse live funky soul from the great Sonny Knight & The Lakers – tearing it up for their hometown of Minneapolis, MN! Do It Live was recorded at the fairly intimate Dakota Jazz Club, and the choice to capture their incendiary live act in a relatively small venue was a good one – the energy is fantastic on the more raucous numbers, but the intimacy is captured just as well on the couple of moodier gems. This live album is another worthy chapter in the continuingly rewarding later career high point for Mr. Knight! Includes "Juicy Lucy", "Get Up And Dance", "Through With You", "Sonny's Boogaloo", "Where Did You Sleep Last Night", "Day Tripper", "Baby, Baby, Baby", "It's You For Me", "Sock A Poo Poo", "When You're Gone", "Cave Man", "I'm Still Here" (Parts 1 & 2), "Sugar Man" and "He Girl". Dusty Groove