Dezron Douglas – Force Majeure (2020)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 50:44 minutes | 485 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © International Anthem
Born amidst the gathering of enslaved Africans in New Orleans’ Congo Square, and nurtured in nightclubs, and festivals around the world, jazz is by nature a public, social music. For Harlem-based harp and bass duo Brandee Younger and Dezron Douglas, Covid-19 and the lockdown of public spaces challenged them to find a way to continue to connect with audiences and each other as instrumentalists.
Building on their weekly livestream and recorded in their living room with a single microphone, Force Majeure finds the duo swimming freely between the great canon of jazz compositions and familiar, contemporary popular songs. The album opens with “Coffee (intro),” a short, lighthearted check-in with all the folks stuck at home. Douglas playfully proclaims: “If you haven’t lost your mind yet, God is good. If you have lost your mind, that’s cool too!”
After the opening track, Younger and Douglas immediately launch into Alice Coltrane’s haunting “Gospel Trane.” Douglas’ tone is round, full, and warm; Younger’s harp is dreamy and melodic at times, but also swinging and percussive much like Coltrane’s piano on the original recording. Younger and Douglas’ interpretations of beloved classics like “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “You Make Me Feel Brand New,” and “The Creator Has A Master Plan” are rich and full of deep emotion. Separated from the world and pouring their gifts into their instruments, Younger and Douglas get to the core of what jazz is about, creating connection under less-than-ideal circumstances.
Tracklist:
01. Dezron Douglas – Intro (Coffee)
02. Dezron Douglas – Gospel Trane
03. Dezron Douglas – Equinox
04. Dezron Douglas – The Creator Has a Master Plan
05. Dezron Douglas – Sing
06. Dezron Douglas – You Make Me Feel Brand New
07. Dezron Douglas – We’ll Be Right Black
08. Dezron Douglas – Never Can Say Goodbye
09. Dezron Douglas – This Woman’s Work
10. Dezron Douglas – Nothing Stupid
11. Dezron Douglas – Inshallah
12. Dezron Douglas – Wise One
13. Dezron Douglas – Force Majeure
14. Dezron Douglas – Toilet Paper Romance
15. Dezron Douglas – Flatten the Curve (Outro)
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