# Strange Liberation

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2004 studio album by Dave Douglas

Strange Liberation Studio album by Dave Douglas Released 27 January 2004 Recorded January 2003 Genre Jazz Label Bluebird Producer Dave Douglas Dave Douglas chronology Freak In (2003) Strange Liberation (2004) Bow River Falls (2003)

***Strange Liberation*** is the 21st album by [jazz](/source/Jazz) [trumpeter](/source/Trumpet) [Dave Douglas](/source/Dave_Douglas_(trumpeter)).[1] It was released on the [Bluebird](/source/Bluebird_Records) imprint of [RCA Records](/source/RCA_Records) in 2004. The album features the Dave Douglas Quintet plus guest guitarist [Bill Frisell](/source/Bill_Frisell). The album received widespread critical acclaim and did well on the jazz album charts, reaching number three on [*Billboard*](/source/Billboard_(magazine))'s and number one on [*CMJ*](/source/CMJ_New_Music_Monthly)'s.

## Overview

Trumpeter and [bandleader](/source/Bandleader) Dave Douglas returns with his [quintet](/source/Quintet) that premiered on his 2002 album *[The Infinite](/source/The_Infinite_(album))*.[2] His band is composed of [Chris Potter](/source/Chris_Potter_(jazz_saxophonist)) on [tenor saxophone](/source/Tenor_saxophone) and [bass clarinet](/source/Bass_clarinet), [Uri Caine](/source/Uri_Caine) on [Fender Rhodes](/source/Rhodes_piano), [James Genus](/source/James_Genus) on [bass](/source/Bass_(instrument)), and [Clarence Penn](/source/Clarence_Penn) on [drums](/source/Drum_kit),[3] plus guest [guitarist](/source/Guitar) [Bill Frisell](/source/Bill_Frisell).[4] This is Douglas's first collaboration with Frisell,[5] someone he had wanted to work with since 1987.[4] This is Douglas's sixth release on Bluebird Records[5] and was recorded by engineer Joe Ferla in [DSD](/source/Direct_Stream_Digital)[6]

Prior to the album's release Douglas premiered the track "The Frisell Dream" at the 2003 [Monterey Jazz Festival](/source/Monterey_Jazz_Festival).[7] The track "Just Say This" refers to the [September 11 attacks](/source/September_11_attacks) and their [aftermath](/source/Aftermath_of_the_September_11_attacks).[4] Douglas attempts to respond to an eight-year-old's attempt to play [Thelonious Monk](/source/Thelonious_Monk)'s "[Blue Monk](/source/Blue_Monk)" with the tune "Skeeter-ism".[4] The album's title is derived from a phrase used by [Martin Luther King Jr.](/source/Martin_Luther_King_Jr.) in reference to America's involvement in the [Vietnam War](/source/Vietnam_War).[8]

## Reception

Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic [8]

In the book *Essential Jazz: the First 100 Years*, the album is called "a fascinating amalgam of 4/4 swing grooves and rock-based electric textures reminiscent of [Miles Davis](/source/Miles_Davis)'s electric music of the late 1960s".[9] John Kelman from [All About Jazz](/source/All_About_Jazz) counters that opinion by recounting that while Douglas's earlier release *The Infinite* did hearken back to late 1960s Davis, this release moves "completely into Dave Douglas territory". He concludes his review saying that the album is "another fine entry in a body of work that strives to break down barriers by eliminating preconceptions as to what music should or shouldn't be".[10]

Dylan Hicks of *[City Pages](/source/City_Pages)* call the album Douglas's "strongest effort" since signing with Bluebird,[11] similarly Chris Dahlen of [Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media) calls the album "a set of music that's simply one of the best written, paced and performed works in his catalog",[2] in *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* Ben Ratliff calls it "the best album in several years by Dave Douglas",[3] and Thom Jurek from [Allmusic](/source/Allmusic) writes "in its imagination and depth it is one of the high marks of Douglas' thus far prolific career".[8]

In All About Jazz, Marc Meyers says the album "explod[es] in a veritable riot of colors, moods, idioms, and rhythms".[4] *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))* named the album a 'Critics' Choice' with Dan Ouellette calling it "a reflective, whimsical and driving quintet date". He goes on to refer to the Douglas/Frisell pairing as a "perfect tonal match". Thomas Conrad writes in *[JazzTimes](/source/JazzTimes)* that the album "possesses, in spades, that quality of immediacy essential to jazz".[6]

## Track listing

*All compositions by Dave Douglas*[4]

1. "A Single Sky" – 2:05

1. "Strange Liberation" – 8:04

1. "Skeeter-ism" – 5:58

1. "Just Say This" – 6:29

1. "Seventeen" - 8:39

1. "Mountains From the Train" – 5:15

1. "Rock of Billy" – 5:55

1. "The Frisell Dream" – 3:54

1. "Passing Through" – 1:36

1. "The Jones" – 4:24

1. "Catalyst" – 5:08

- - *Recorded in New York City in January 2003*

## Personnel

- [Dave Douglas](/source/Dave_Douglas_(trumpeter)) – [trumpet](/source/Trumpet)

- [Bill Frisell](/source/Bill_Frisell) – [guitar](/source/Guitar)

- [Chris Potter](/source/Chris_Potter_(jazz_saxophonist)) – [tenor saxophone](/source/Tenor_saxophone), [bass clarinet](/source/Bass_clarinet)

- [Uri Caine](/source/Uri_Caine) – [Fender Rhodes](/source/Rhodes_piano)

- [James Genus](/source/James_Genus) – [bass](/source/Bass_(instrument))

- [Clarence Penn](/source/Clarence_Penn) – [drums](/source/Drum_kit), [percussion](/source/Percussion_instrument)

### Production

- Ann Cutting – [cover photo](/source/Album_cover)

- Joe Ferla – associate producer, [engineer](/source/Audio_engineering), [mixing](/source/Audio_mixing_(recorded_music))

- Suzannah Kincannon – photography

- Hiroyuki Komuro – engineer

- Sheryl Lutz-Brown – design

- Jason Stasium – assistant

- David Weyner – [executive producer](/source/Executive_producer)

- Mark Wilder – [mastering](/source/Audio_mastering)

- Kevin Wilson – assistant

## Charts

Jazz Albums Chart Year Source Peak February 2004 Billboard 3[12] CMJ 1[13]

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Roussel, Patrice, [Discography of Dave Douglas](http://nyds-discographies.com/douglas.htm) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20150722040845/http://nyds-discographies.com/douglas.htm) 2015-07-22 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine), accessed 21 July 2015

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Dahlen_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Dahlen_2-1) Dahlen, Chris (June 15, 2004). ["Dave Douglas: *Strange Liberation*"](http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/2538-strange-liberation/). [Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_Media). Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Ratliff_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Ratliff_3-1) Ratliff, Ben (January 27, 2004). ["New CD's; Following Improv Bread Crumbs"](https://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/27/arts/music/27CHOI.html). *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)*. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Myers_4-5) Myers, Mark (January 15, 2004). ["Dave Douglas: *Strange Liberation*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121025053301/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?review_id=11372). [All About Jazz](/source/All_About_Jazz). Archived from [the original](http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?review_id=11372) on October 25, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-OueletteRev_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-OueletteRev_5-1) Ouelette, Dan (January 24, 2004). ["*Strange Liberation*"](https://books.google.com/books?id=gQ8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=dave-douglas+%22strange+liberation%22&pg=PA32). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. p. 32. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Conrad_6-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Conrad_6-1) Conrad, Thomas (April 2004). ["Jazz Reviews: *Strange Liberation*"](http://jazztimes.com/articles/14551-strange-liberation-dave-douglas). *[JazzTimes](/source/JazzTimes)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100114152423/http://jazztimes.com/articles/14551-strange-liberation-dave-douglas) from the original on January 14, 2010. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Ouellette_7-0)** Ouellette, Dan (October 18, 2003). ["McLaughlin, Eastwood:Memorable Monterey Moments"](https://books.google.com/books?id=jxEEAAAAMBAJ&dq=dave-douglas+%22strange+liberation%22&pg=PA17). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. p. 17. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jurek_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jurek_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Jurek_8-2) Jurek, Thom. ["Review: *Strange Liberation*"](http://www.allmusic.com/album/strange-liberation-r676297/review). *[Allmusic](/source/Allmusic)*. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-MartinWaters2008_9-0)** Martin, Henry; Waters, Keith (2008). [*Essential Jazz: the First 100 Years*](https://books.google.com/books?id=e64R7pJ3zJsC&pg=PA265). Cengage Learning. p. 265. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-495-50525-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-495-50525-9). Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Kelman_10-0)** Kelman, John (February 24, 2004). ["Dave Douglas: *Strange Liberation*"](https://www.allaboutjazz.com/strange-liberation-dave-douglas-rca-victor-review-by-john-kelman). [All About Jazz](/source/All_About_Jazz). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121022044344/http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=13188) from the original on October 22, 2012. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Hicks_11-0)** Hicks, Dylan (February 11, 2004). ["Dave Douglas: *Strange Liberation*"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090909014217/http://www.citypages.com/2004-02-11/music/dave-douglas-strange-liberation/). *[City Pages](/source/City_Pages)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.citypages.com/2004-02-11/music/dave-douglas-strange-liberation/) on September 9, 2009. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-BBchart_12-0)** ["Top Jazz Albums"](https://books.google.com/books?id=gw8EAAAAMBAJ&dq=strange+liberation&pg=PA62). *[Billboard](/source/Billboard_(magazine))*. February 21, 2004. p. 62. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-CMJ_chart_13-0)** ["Jazz album chart"](https://books.google.com/books?id=UmM6AQ76v6MC&dq=dave-douglas+%22strange+liberation%22&pg=PA17). *[CMJ New Music Monthly](/source/CMJ_New_Music_Monthly)*. March 1, 2004. p. 17. Retrieved January 25, 2011.

v t e Dave Douglas Discography Studio albums Parallel Worlds (1993) The Tiny Bell Trio (1994) In Our Lifetime (1995) Constellations (1995) Five (1996) Stargazer (1997) Moving Portrait (1998) Charms of the Night Sky (1998) Magic Triangle (1998) Convergence (1999) Songs for Wandering Souls (1999) Soul on Soul (2000) Leap of Faith (2000) A Thousand Evenings (2000) El Trilogy (2001) Witness (2001) The Infinite (2002) Freak In (2003) Strange Liberation (2004) Bow River Falls (2004) Mountain Passages (2005) Keystone (2005) Meaning and Mystery (2006) Spirit Moves (2009) A Single Sky (2009) Spark of Being (2010) Three Views (2011) Be Still (2012) Time Travel (2013) Present Joys [with Uri Caine] (2014) High Risk (2015) Brazen Heart (2015) Dark Territory (2016) Live albums Live in Europe (1997) Sanctuary (1997) Live at the Bimhuis Set 1 & 2 (2005) Live at the Jazz Standard (2007) Moonshine (2007) United Front: Brass Ecstasy at Newport (2011) Sound Prints [with Joe Lovano] (2015) Related SFJAZZ Collective

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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