The spirit of the brilliant saxophonist and composer Wayne Shorter explicitly hovers over the work of Sound Prints, the cooperative band that the saxophonist Joe Lovano and the trumpeter Dave Douglas convened in 2015. Bolstered by the formidable rhythm team of Lawrence Fields on piano, Linda May Han Oh on bass and Joey Baron on drums, the co-leaders create music that honors their major influence yet speaks firmly of original visions.
Retransforming such classic Shorter tunes as “Juju” and “Fe Fi Fo Fum,” and introducing new originals that hint at the work of their main inspiration, Lovano and Douglas reveal how present day jazz can stride towards the future while also embracing the past. Lovano and Douglas, both at the top of their games as players and composers, may be the focal point of the quintet but the integral contributions of the other band members cannot be overlooked– Sound Prints is a genuine band.
Joe Lovano & Dave Douglas Sound Prints, Scandal (Blue Note)
