By Don Phipps
Turn the lights down low, roll one, chill and listen. That is the ideal
setting for trumpeter/composer William Doran’s 1/4tet album Reflections, a
modal masterpiece that keeps its cool through ten energetic pieces which
flow like a mountain waterfall cascading into the deep beyond. The ten Doran
compositions here seem fresh and unrehearsed, although judging by the
tightness of the band, they received a fair amount of practice. And Doran
has burst on the scene, with 17 album releases this year alone (Reflections,
Creative Big Band, Creative Intelligence, 6 Compositions, Vienna State
Compositions, Bolszaz, Jazz Moods, A Modernist Perspective, ‘Pops’ 3
Compositions, Humanoids, Nether Realms, Orleans Cat, Overstand, Tri Centric,
Seattle City, Maluthak Abun, Bopcity (Croydon Sessions), and Borderlands)!
He also has two more albums (The Blues Stuff and Back Home Blues) set to
release in January 2025. Holy Sweet Moly!!!
Doran describes his approach to jazz as avant garde and says his method
permits him to develop “a very free and individualistic voice.”
Furthermore, he says his music is influenced by experimental and classical
idioms, which he uses to “create narratives” that redefine what he calls the
“jazz tradition.” Listening to his floating trumpet lines on Reflections
suggests a hybrid version of bebop, hard bop, and cool jazz – a grouping
that remakes those idioms into something new. Doran is joined on Reflections
by Mulando Muyo (vibraphone), Al Mohammed (guitar), Adam Bhika (piano),
Adrian Schofield (drums), and Freddie Knight (bass), and their contributions
fit perfectly with Doran’s theory of music.
Take “Gradients,” a work that seems suspended in air. Doran’s seductive tone
slides above the beautiful transitions created by Bhika’s modal piano lines
(think McCoy Tyner in his Coltrane period) and Knight’s traveling bass. Muyo
adds slight dissonance as his vibraphone floats in and out of the mix. More
importantly, Doran’s “Gradients” trumpet lines (and indeed his effort on the
whole album) are never predictable. Like a pitcher using a variety of
pitches – changeups, fastballs, sliders, and curves – to keep the batter on
his toes, Doran allows his imagination to create spontaneous and
unrepetitive running arcs, arcs that keep the listener tuned in.
On “Leyland,” Mohammad’s guitar enters and exits with choice bluesy chords,
leaving plenty of space for Doran to perform his magic. And Schofield’s open
swingish drumming on “Meole Brace,” possibly the album’s best track, fills
in the edges, leaving room for Doran to dominate the middle.
All of Doran’s bandmates have their moments. There’s vibraphonist Muyo’s
work on “Polygons,” where he finds the right note clusters to complement
Doran’s walkabouts. Or his dreamy sci-fi effects on “Mississippi.” Or his
use of the instrument’s pedal on “So Far.” Pianist Bhika contributes a
special laid-back solo on the back end of “Polygons” and his solo
abstractions near the end of “Washington” are not to be missed. Bassist
Knight brings it with his walking/swinging lines, providing a solid
foundation for his bandmates’ ruminations. But he is not just a timekeeper.
Listen to the sparse notes he opens with on “Polygons,” “Washington,” or the
moody hazy “So Far.” Likewise, guitarist Mohammed’s playing is never
ill-timed or intrusive. It augments the floating effect that Doran creates
with his plethora of notes. And drummer Schofield adds special ins and outs
that maintain the lively music. Check out his and Mohammad’s performance on
“The Dusk,” and how the pair play off against Doran to create texture and
color.
But in the end, it is William Doran’s trumpet that waxes eloquently –
whether straight or muted. There really is no place on the album where he
rests. He just rolls – like one might – when biking through a forest,
staying on a path but experiencing the new at every bend. His tone is warm
and engaging – at no time pinched or forceful. Doran says on his website
that his compositions are created using a “transcendental improvised system
which uses intuitive techniques… with an approach that breaks paradigms….
(I) call the (system) ‘Transcendental Improvisation’….” Hybrid modal jazz
or transcendental improvisation – you decide. But whatever it is called, it
is most excellent!