Freak In

Think of Miles Davis's In a Silent Way sessions with an updated "jazztronic" treatment, and you'll get the vibe of this CD by the mercurial, Grammy-nominated trumpeter Dave Douglas. He's backed by a 21st-century combo featuring saxophonist-clarinet Chris Speed, pianist Craig Taborn, and guitarists Marc Ribot and Romero Lubambo, the turnabalist Jamie Saft, and tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake. They embark on a techno-tantric--yet textured--trip through electronica and blues, steered by Douglas's horn lines. The title track is a zesty bhangra-bopped number sprinkled with remixer Karsh Kale's tablas, while "Eastern Parkway" swings with an industrial New Orleans sound. With taste and wit, Douglas manages to make even nonjazz sounds seem jazzy, something Miles Davis also did very well. --Eugene Holley Jr.