Dave Douglas: Four Freedoms

GREENLEAF MUSIC (RELEASED JANUARY 30, 2026)

From its very first note, jazz has always been about freedom — the freedom to explore melodies, expand harmonies, extrapolate rhythms and experiment with other genres of music. Since his first recordings, trumpeter Dave Douglas has expressed those freedoms in everything from pianoless quartets to brass bands, duos with European masters to his work with quintets and larger ensembles. He has delved into Chassidic music with John Zorn, electronic music with releases such as Freak In, even music for dancers with El Trilogy. On Four Freedoms, Douglas and his new quartet of pianist Marta Warelis, bassist Nick Dunston and drummer Joey Baron, Douglas expounds on Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s four freedoms — freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want and freedom from fear. According to Douglas, the nine compositions on Four Freedoms were personalized for this quartet — how they play and how they approach freedom in improvisation. Baron is featured on the opening track, “Grits (For Joey),” a rhythmic conversation between his exuberant playing and the angular statements offered by Douglas, Warelis and Dunston. Warelis gets a chance to demonstrate the fluidity and flexibility of her pianistic skills on “Sandhogs,” punctuating her solo with strong percussive chords and sharp single notes. She showcases her prepared piano prowess on the title track. Dunston moves from strumming to plucking on the declaratory “Fire in the Firewood (For Nick)” and creates a freer feeling with his arco playing on the title track. Whether they are playing ballad-like pieces such as “Dreams We Hold,” Paul Bley-like grooves such as “Ruminants” or mournful moods such as “Sing Sing,” Douglas’ signature smears and shouts, cries and calls, twists and turns and fire and folksiness intertwine to create a sense of unity through all the freedom. And that brings up one other freedom Four Freedoms celebrates — the freedom, as best expressed in the title of an Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz composition, to play “Alone Together.” And that’s a freedom we should all cherish.

BOTTOM LINE: Trumpeter Dave Douglas is not the first jazz musician to address the topic of freedom. Sonny Rolllins did it in 1958 with Freedom Suite. Charles Mingus did in 1963 with his composition “Freedom.” Jackie McLean did it in 1962 with his recording Let Freedom Ring. In Four Freedoms, Douglas and his new quartet work through nine originals determined to show there is structure, beauty, exuberance, tears and joy in celebrating freedom.