Engage CD (Greenleaf Music)

Dave Douglas excels in uniting musicians within unique contexts, deviating from their typical styles. This is evident in his project, Engage, which comprises five avant-garde improvisers. Restrained intensity, rich harmonies, depth, connectivity, and corporeal expression. The collaboration with cellist Tomeka Reid, flutist Anna Webber, bassist Nick Dunston, drummer Kate Gentile, and guitarist Jeff Parker yields a track, "Showing Up," where Parker's solo assumes a central role. Engage's compositions are imbued with a sense of optimism and a call to action, inspired by contemporary political challenges. The group's music, constructed predominantly from major triads, seeks to convey a message of hope and community engagement. This creative endeavor, a successor to the 2018 Uplift project, encourages individuals to stay positive and involved in addressing critical issues in various fields, such as environmental conservation, equality, and the sciences and humanities.