Mountains Product Offered

The Sextet led by Dave Douglas and Elan Mehler combines experienced musicians with up-and-coming talents, integrating poetry and haiku into their improvisational music. Their debut album, If There Are Mountains, features Douglas on trumpet, Mehler on piano, vocalist Dominique Eade, reedist John Gunther, bassist Simón Willson, and drummer Dayeon Seok. Originally released on vinyl through Mehler's Newvelle Records, the album is now being reissued on Douglas' Greenleaf Music label.

All thirteen tracks on the album were composed by Douglas and Mehler, with four new songs making their debut: "Arms Folded to the Moon" and "Life" by Douglas, and "A Thicket of Summer Grass" and "Barn's Burnt Down" by Mehler. The inspiration for their collaboration on haiku stems from a performance of Douglas' "Village of No Bells" two decades ago, and this vocal-centric ensemble brings a fresh perspective to their music. Their approach highlights unique melodies with concise expression, mirroring the structure of Japanese poetry found in the lyrics.

The tracklist for If There Are Mountains includes: 1. If There Are Mountains 2. We Saw You Off 3. Even a Nameless Stream 4. Wolf Orchard 5. Haiku 6. Here on the Plains 7. Village of No Bells 8. The Spring Current 9. With Your Singing 10. Arms Folded to the Moon 11. A Thicket of Summer Grass 12. Barn's Burnt Down 13. Life

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