There are some musicians who earn the label “a players player”. Individuals who possess a quality and integrity that peers look up to, not for mere bursts of blazing notes or chops, but for the perfection of their performances and the joy they bring.

Such a musician is West coast based Jazz journeyman guitarist Doug MacDonald. “I’ve simply never lost my love affair for warm notes, a good standard and striving for the best performance” states the guitarist. In that regard, MacDonald’s musicianship evokes thoughts of such artists as Chet Baker and Sinatra, to name a few, who performed and excelled in a particular style their entire careers while keeping it fresh for their audiences time after time.

On his brand new album, I’ll See You In My Dreams, (out August 30th, 2022), guitarist Doug MacDonald teams up with three longtime musical friends who happen to be among the finest jazz musicians in California.

As a quartet, MacDonald, pianist Tamir Hendelmann, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton perform joyful, infectious and swinging jazz.

1. I’ll See You In My Dreams
2. I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good)
3. Don’cha Go ’Way Mad
4. My Ship
5. New Mark
6. Easy To Love
7. ’Tis Autumn
8. More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows
9. Will You Still Be Mine

This easy breezy, harmonious summer’s breeze of an album opens on the four guitar breaks brought forth within the titular exhilaration of I’ll See You In My Dreams and a masterful take on Duke Ellington’s I Got It Bad (And That Ain’t Good) and then backs those up with the majestic bowed bass-imbued Don’cha Go ’Way Mad, the medium-tempo bossa of My Ship and then comes the, at times, uproarious, and yet always blues-centric New Mark.

Up next is their gloriously crafted rendition of Easy To Love (complete with guitar-piano and bass-drums tradeoffs) which is in turn followed seamlessly by the heartfelt ’Tis Autumn, the album rounding out all too soon on their original jazz waltz More Yesterdays Than Tomorrows, closing on the sprightly, highly spirited Will You Still Be Mine.

Originally from Philadelphia, he began his career in Hawaii, where he played with Trummy Young and Gabe Balthazar, and with Del Courtney at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Relocating to Las Vegas, Doug found himself immersed in a vibrant music scene, and began playing in lounges and showrooms with jazz greats, including Joe Williams, Carl Fontana, Jack Montrose, and Carson Smith. On to Los Angeles, Doug played in the bands of Bill Holman, Ray Anthony, and John Clayton, and performed and recorded with Jake Hanna, Rosemary Clooney, Jack Sheldon, Bob Cooper, Ross Tompkins, Ray Brown, Buddy Rich, and Ray Charles.

Doug also began recording and performing with his own trio and quartet, as well as his 13 piece ensemble, The Jazz Coalition. Throughout his career the guitarist has caught the attention of noted jazz writers and critics. Michael Nastos of All Music Guide wrote, “a veteran guitarist who know his influences cold, and consistently plays to his strong suit.” Scott Yanow wrote of MacDonald, “...a fine bop-based guitarist in the tradition of Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel, and Joe Pass.” Chicago Tribune’s Zan Stewart captured so much of MacDonald when he wrote, “...beautiful bell-clear sounds and a sure-footed sense of swing.” drummer Harold Acey round out the personnel.”

​ To date, MacDonald has released a prolific catalog of 15 CDs spanning configurations as a soloist, in duos, trios, quartets and big bands. A selection of discs include 2009’s orchestral project Fourth Stream for 13-piece brass and woodwind ensemble augmented with strings. 2014 saw the release of Solo Plus, a 14 song collection of standards played solo by MacDonald. In 2016, he released Doug MacDonald’s Reorganized Quartet.

Bill Milkowski writes in the liner notes for the CD, “On this potent outing, MacDonald is surrounded by a pair of like-minded old school burners on the LA scene in tenor saxophonist Clarence Webb and 70-year-old Hammond B-3 master and Columbus, Ohio native Bobby Pierce (who recorded with a young Pat Martino in his band on a couple of Cobblestone and Muse sessions from the early 1970s). Tenor saxophonist Rodger Neumann and drummer Harold Acey round out the personnel.”

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