Dave Douglas Quintet in the Hartford Courant

HC250-masthead-1C1

Thanks to the Hartford Courant for the coverage! The Dave Douglas Quintet will be at the Side Door in Old Lyme on Friday, Nov. 13. Get your tickets here!

Trumpeter Dave Douglas, when he’s on stage with his longtime quintet, sometimes finds himself taking part in a swirl of frenetic energy, a peak moment in a longer improvisation, when the band transcends itself and its surroundings.

Writing music for “Brazen Heart,” his latest quintet recording, Douglas wondered: How can I capture that spark in a three-minute composition? Can lightning, in fact, be bottled?

“So often, when the band gets to that kind of energy, it’s in the middle of a 15-minute piece,” Douglas says. “As a composer, I was like, OK, how can I get us to that place, and get in and say it and get out?”

Several songs on “Brazen Heart” — “Wake Up Claire,” “Inure Phase,” “Ocean Spray,” “Lone Wolf” — embody that strategy. Douglas’ quintet performs some of that music, and more, at the Side Door in Old Lyme on Friday, Nov. 13. (read more at The Hartford Courant)