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Doug MacDonald: Sextet Session

By Jack Bowers
March 22, 2024
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Guitarist

Doug MacDonald

guitar
b.1953

" data-original-title="" title="">Doug MacDonald records albums like someone who is either making up for lost time or does not have much time to spare. According to his discography, Sextet Session is at least the thirty-second album MacDonald has led or co-led, almost half of which have been released in the past couple of years or so. To keep things fresh, MacDonald has performed with almost every size group from big band to duo, but not often with as sharp and experienced a front line as this one.

MacDonald is aided and abetted melodically by tenor saxophonist

Doug Webb

saxophone

" data-original-title="" title="">Doug Webb, trumpeter

Aaron Janik

trumpet

" data-original-title="" title="">Aaron Janik and pianist

Josh Nelson

piano
b.1978

" data-original-title="" title="">Josh Nelson, with the rhythm component in the capable hands of bassist

Mike Gurrola

bass

" data-original-title="" title="">Mike Gurrola and drummer

Charles Ruggiero

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Charles Ruggiero. Besides playing straight-on guitar in the boppish manner of such masters as

Tal Farlow

guitar
1921 - 1998

" data-original-title="" title="">Tal Farlow,

Herb Ellis

guitar
1921 - 2010

" data-original-title="" title="">Herb Ellis,

Barney Kessel

guitar, electric
1923 - 2004

" data-original-title="" title="">Barney Kessel and others, MacDonald is a splendid composer, and his clever charts (he wrote six of the album's eight numbers) are for the most part strong and engaging.

The outliers are the venerable standards "You've Changed" and "Whispering," on which the sextet comes full circle by presenting the true melody of the theme used by

Dizzy Gillespie

trumpet
1917 - 1993

" data-original-title="" title="">Dizzy Gillespie as the basis for the jazz standard "Groovin' High." MacDonald also likes to affix clever titles to his songs, as witness "Gee's Flat," "Try Ads" or the generally dark and esoteric "Si Miner" (which consumes almost one-fourth of the album's forty-six minute running time).The others are the opening "Desert Blues," "AT #33" and the light-hearted finale, "Bubbles in the Wine" (whose melody may kindle memories of the late Lawrence Welk—MacDonald borrows liberally from Welk's iconic theme song—but whose changes are based on the standard "Pennies from Heaven").

One key to producing a successful album is to recruit blue-chip soloists, and MacDonald has clearly hit that nail on the head. Webb, Janik and Nelson are about as proficient as they come, while Gurrola and Ruggiero more than hold their own whenever called on. Soloists are rotated on every number, and MacDonald has "You've Changed" to himself. Janik is perhaps most impressive on "Whispering" (played as a bossa), Webb on the groovy "Desert Blues" and robust "Try Ads" (on which Janik adds another strong statement). As for Nelson and the leader, each of their solos is impressive.

MacDonald keeps churning out albums, and so long as the standard remains this high, long may he continue to do so. Sextet Session is another in a series of well-above-average sessions drawn up by MacDonald and whomever he chooses as his companions.

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Track Listing

Desert Blues; Whispering; Gee��s Flat; You��ve Changed; AT #33; Try Ads; Si Miner; Bubbles in the Wine.

Personnel

Doug MacDonald

guitar

Aaron Janik

trumpet

Doug Webb

saxophone

Josh Nelson

piano

Mike Gurrola

bass

Charles Ruggiero

drums

Album information

Title: Sextet Session | Year Released: 2024 | Record Label: Self Produced

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