avant-jazz Archive

High Risk – Dark Territory – Greenleaf Music

by Audiophile Audition | Sep 20, 2016 | Jazz CD Reviews

“Welcome to the future.” High Risk – Dark Territory [TrackList follows] – Greenleaf Music GRE-CD-1049, 40:10 [7/8/16] ****: (Dave Douglas – trumpet, producer; Jonathan Maron – electric and synth bass; Mark Guiliana – acoustic and electric drums; Shigeto – electronics) Trumpeter Dave Douglas knows more than a bit about heading into unknown or new terrain. He makes that clear on Dark Territory, the sophomore release with his quintet dubbed High Risk, which includes Douglas, Jonathan Maron (electric and synth basses), acoustic and electric drummer Mark Guiliana and electronics music expert Shigeto (AKA Zachary Shigeto Saginaw). The 40-minute, seven-track album is an acute creation which blends avant-jazz with electronics and shadowy atmospherics. The title comes from Fred Kaplan’s 2016 book, Dark Territory: The Secret History of Cyber War, which quotes former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and his description of cyber espionage as a “dark territory” with no light, invisible enemies, and catastrophic consequences. The Dark Territory record has been issued as a compact disc, vinyl LP and as a digital download. This review refers to the CD configuration. The sense of imminent danger, of possible threats on the horizon, can be felt on the nearly seven-minute opener, “Celine,” where Douglas’s healthy […]