DOUBT — Never Pet a Burning dog (review)

DOUBT — Never Pet a Burning dog album cover Album · 2010 · Avant-Garde Jazz Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
js
Doubt is a real interesting band, basically a free jazz trio (keyboards, guitar, drums) that occaisonally likes to wander into progressive rock territory, the unlikely combination of those two styles makes for this unexpected yet successful CD, 'Never Pet a Burning Dog'. Free jazz can come across as an indulgent and boring 60s passe sort of thing, but Doubt modernizes things by playing light and tasteful sometimes, as opposed to constantly going full force as the 60s avant-garde jazz bands would do. Canterbury/prog rock legend Richard Sinclair is also on hand for a couple cuts to help out with the ‘proggier’ moments.

Album opener 'Carole De San Luca' features Sinclair’s voice against a stately jazz/Gregorian chord progression backed by understated restless free drumming. From here the bands hit’s a dissonant King Crimson styled chord sequence that evolves into Doubt’s trade mark free jazz improvisations. Keyboardist Alex Maguire’s harsh playing recalls Chick Corea’s distorted Fender Rhodes on 'Miles Live at the Fillmore'. The free jazz will continue with the calmer track four, 'Sea', making a sharp difference with it’s very quiet approach and guitarist Milchel Deville’s ghostly ambient background accompaniment.

Track five, 'Passing Cloud', brings Sinclair on for more vocals. The combination of his soft Canterbury jazz vocals, Bianco’s restless drums and Maguire’s shifting Mellotron background could pass as an out-take from Crimson’s jazzy 'Lizards' album. 'Cosmic Surgery' continues in the prog rock vein, heavy guitar riffs alternate with jazzy keyboard sequences and quiet classical/surf guitar melodies for a sound that is a cross between Focus, Sun City Girls and Quiet Sun. Eventually the free jazz takes over again which carries them up to album closer 'Beppe’s Shelter'. 'Beppe’s' is an odd one that opens with a furious guitar improv over a persistent rock beat followed by a jazzy space rock flight topped with a Mellotron flute solo, trippy.

Doubt is a great band, the musicians on here are all top notch. This is modern free jazz that breaks barriers and aspires to non-cliché progressive rock and beyond.
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