Dave Douglas and Uri Caine Record First Duo Album, “Present Joys”
Greenleaf Music is very proud to announce “Present Joys,” out July 22, a new album from longtime collaborators Dave Douglas and Uri Caine.
“Present Joys” brings Douglas and Caine together for an intimate but exploratory outing inspired by “The Sacred Harp” tradition. The pair take on five pieces from shape-note tunebooks, as well as several new Douglas compositions undertaken in the same vein. These ten pieces engage Douglas’ trumpet and Caine’s piano in a captivating conversation full of memorable melodies and intricate digressions.
“I’ve always loved the Sacred Harp songs and started thinking about how to do them in the wake of ‘Be Still,’” Douglas says.
“Playing duo is a special challenge, especially when accompanying a singer or horn player,” says Caine. “The pianist is often responsible for keeping the groove happening as well as creating textures for the soloists. There is also a lot of freedom in playing duo as well as the chance to create a dialogue with another musician, which is a lot of fun with a musician like Dave.”
“The Sacred Harptunes are very heartfelt pieces, and I had no intention to play them with any irony,” says Douglas. “I think the music is really beautiful and hopefully the way that we play them allows the tunes to ring through in a way that jazz listeners and ‘Sacred Harp’ fans will appreciate and value.”
The duo is currently on tour–catch them in your city!
