feature photo: John Abbott
Spurred on by a commission from in Handelsbeurs Concert Hall in the historical Belgian city of Ghent, Dave Douglas formed a suite of music to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Jan van Eyck’s Ghent Altarpiece, a polyptych at the city’s St. Bavo’s Cathedral. Secular Psalms is the product of years of work by this master trumpeter, composer and bandleader, tapping into passages, Catholic Church rituals and music of that period, to portray a spiritual sense that reaches across centuries and religions.
Secular Psalms, as a lot of great jazz albums tend to do, transcends the context in which it was conceived and even whole notion of jazz. In finding a connection with the European religious rituals of the 15th century, Douglas created music that’s not too far removed from the carefully crafted chamber pop of Sufjan Stevens or — as with the somber dirge “Edge of Night” — the antediluvian folk of The Low Anthem. Often these traditional styles are mixed in with the very-contemporary sounds of occasional loud guitars and electronic buzz. And Douglas’ own stamp with his highly modernist style of composition is present everywhere.
In other words, Dave Douglas did not allow his given mission to box him in.
The onset of pandemic slowed down the process of making this album but undeterred, Douglas forged on, assembling a multinational assortment of talented musicians, with Berlinde Deman (serpent, tuba, vocal), Marta Warelis (piano, prepared piano, pump organ), Frederik Leroux (guitars, lute, electronics), Tomeka Reid (cello) and Lander Gyselinck (drums, electronics). Since Douglas penned some very worldly songs full of detail and constant development, just the process of recording took nearly a year and a half to complete.
It was well worth fussing over; “Arrival” is a meticulously through composed piece where Douglas makes the mixture of strings, overdriven guitar and his singular trumpet work together in strong conformity.
“Mercy” is up tempo and here we get the first of the vocals. but it’s not like any vocals you’d here on contemporary jazz, and the mashup of lyrics draw from Marvin Gaye, the Latin Mass, Psalm 59 and Douglas himself, sung almost as a murmuring chant. Given the backdrop of modernity, it strangely conforms.
A pump organ and a lute on “We Believe” set a hybrid, chamber-folk mood alongside Latin lyrics, while “Agnus Dei,” which means “Lamb of God,” is marked by Reid’s cello and lithe piano solo from Warelis. It’s eventually overtaken by Leroux’s Frisell-like demonic guitars. The pump organ reappears on “Hermits and Pilgrims,” and makes an effective stand-in for a medieval church organ. Following that intro, the song unfolds with the full band and Reid saws her way to the forefront with Douglas, with notable asides out of Douglas and Warelis on piano.
“Instrumental Angels,” with its elusive rhythmic pattern, contains so many instruments beautifully intertwining with each other, it’s hard to believe that each instrument was actually recorded separately. The layers peel away toward the end just enough to reveal Gyselinck’s funky, semi-second-line rhythm.
“If I’m In Church More Often Now” trades sung verses from Deman with Douglas’ graceful trumpet, as “Righteous Judges” is a blending of the arranged and the improvised, peppered by electronic noises.
Dave Douglas’ ambition to honor a classic work of art from six centuries ago strictly on his own terms is what makes Secular Psalms a piece of fine art on its own. An understanding of what inspired this record helps in appreciating it, but knowing the background isn’t required because the music is so good regardless of the story behind it.
Secular Psalms is currently available, from Greenleaf Music.
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