Doug MacDonald Live in Hawaii

Doug MacDonald
Live in Hawaii
Dmac Music

Guitarist Doug MacDonald began his career in Hawaii before establishing himself in Southern California. His latest recording comes from a November 2019 performance at The Atherton Performing Arts Studio of Hawaii Public Radio. Joining him are Noel Okimoto on vibraphone, Dean Taba on bass, and Daryl Pellegrini on drums. MacDonald notes the unusual presence of a vibraphone in a guitar-led quartet. "Replacing piano with vibraphone lends a different artistic expression, and the harmonic constraints of four mallets offers me a different space to solo and develop chord melodies." On MacDonald's website, he likens this quartet to the Red Norvo Trio with drums added.

The album starts with an effervescent take on "My Shining Hour," which provides all four opportunities to solo. MacDonald impresses with his cleanly shaped lines and crystal clear tone. Okimoto's shimmering vibraphone provides an open base for MacDonald as well his solos as MacDonald comping. Bassist Taba anchors the music while also laying down robust solos, while Pellegrini ably propels the music while also taking crisp, focused drum solos. MacDonald contributed a couple of originals like the breezy "Cat City Samba" with Okimoto's crystalline solo followed by the leader's well-shaped, prickly solo. Then there is the easy rocking treatment of Oscar Pettiford's "Blues in a Closet" that bassist Taba takes the lead on. Like all the tracks here, the pace of the performances is spot on. "Star Eyes" is given a Brazilian-bebop fused performance. The performance of "Lester Leaps In" may be the highpoint of this set, with Okimoto dazzling as is MacDonald when the two trade fours.

Doug MacDonald's band is first-rate and sounds like they have been playing together for some time. With the strong selection of tunes, and top-flight soloing, he has produced another excellent album.

I received my review copy from a publicist. Here with a slightly different quartet, Doug MacDonald performs "Lester Leaps In."

Doug MacDonald Duo - Toluca Lake Jazz

Doug MacDonald Duo -  Toluca Lake Jazz - Self-produced

The latest album from guitarist Doug MacDonald is of duets with bassist Harvey Newmark. Now located on the West Coast, MacDonald is a Philadelphia native who was inspired by such guitarists as Joe Pass, Johnny Smith, Howard Roberts, and Wes Montgomery while forging a personal style. About his playing, I remarked, "He impresses with his clean, fleet and imaginative attack and thoughtfully constructed solos." Bassist Newmark was born in Hollywood, California, who took up the bass in middle school. His experiences include working with the Buddy Rich Big Band, Lew Tabackin, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, and many others. He also has played with various classical orchestras as well. 

The intimacy provided by a guitar-bass duet allows MacDonald's beautiful tone to shine as much as his creative mix of single-note runs and chords, while Newmark provides a rhythmic anchor with his fat lines. The recording starts with a delightful rendition of "Flamingo," a song associated with the one-time Ellingtonian Herb Jeffries with whom MacDonald worked. The pair take listeners to Brazil for a lovely samba, The Little Boat," as MacDonald chording while Newmark solos. Among other charming performances are the beauty of "These Foolish Things" and "Easy Living," which showcases bassist Newmark.

MacDonald says he wrote the title track for a big band. I have not heard the big band rendition, but the performance here suggests this song is a contrafact of "Cherokee." "Is This It" is a solo guitar featured based on the chord changes of "What Is This Thing Called Love." "De-Ha," with its boogaloo rhythm, is an interesting original that is structured differently for the melody and the solos. Then there is an intriguing interpretation of Coltrane's "Village Blues." 

A lively original, "New World" serves to close out a most delightful recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist.

The Coachella Valley Trio Mid Century Modern

The Coachella Valley Trio
Mid Century Modern
dmacmusic

A guitar trio featuring guitarist Doug MacDonald takes its name from the fact that MacDonald and his fellow musicians settled in Palm Springs, in California's Coachella Valley. Besides MacDonald, the trio consists of Larry Holloway on bass and Tim Pleasant on drums. They started playing a regular gig in 2016 at A.J.'s on the Green, and they really clicked, inspiring MacDonald to capture the trio on tape. Big Black playing djembe is a guest on 6 of the 11 selections, four of which are MacDonald originals.

As MacDonald observes in his brief liner notes, the trio soon found they had a close rhythmic connection, that is evident in the performances heard here. MacDonald is an excellent bop-styled guitarist with a melodic core to his playing with a deft touch. His playing echoes the message of Lester Young of knowing the lyrics of the tunes one plays, while he ably constructs very sophisticated solos. His bandmates complement his performances, which include charming renditions of such standards as "My Shining Hour," "What's New," "Give Me The Simple Life," "Woody 'N You," and "The Way You Look Tonight."

MacDonald adds in delightful originals, including "Lance Or Lot," and "Cat City Samba." This latter song, with a percolating drum solo, is one of two Brazilian-oriented compositions that the trio give scintillating performances to. It complements the interpretations of the standards on a first-rate bop-styled jazz guitar recording.

I received my review copy from a publicist. This review appeared in the March-April 2020 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 389).