Dr. Purgatory Confirms Concept Album ‘The Consumption: A Tragic Folktale in Six Parts’

Toronto-based guitarist and composer David Riddel, known as Dr. Purgatory, is set to release his highly anticipated second LP, The Consumption: A Tragic Folktale in Six Parts. The album, a genre-blurring chamber jazz concept project, will be released worldwide on Friday, March 21, 2025. To celebrate, Dr. Purgatory will premiere the album in full at Burdock Brewery in Toronto on March 20, 2025.

The Consumption is a deeply personal and ambitious work that fuses jazz, chamber music, and literary storytelling. Riddel, an Edmonton native and University of Toronto jazz performance graduate, composed the album while performing on cruise ships, where much of the project was conceptualized in moments of isolation. The album features an all-star lineup of Canadian jazz musicians, including Colleen Allen (alto sax, flute), Conrad Gluch (alto sax, bass clarinet), Noam Lemish (piano), Andrew Downing (upright bass), Aline Homzy (violin), and Stefan Hegerat (drums).

Riddel comments:

“I wanted to make an album that was one part Reinier Baas, one part Maurice Ravel, and one part Björk. While the latter’s influence may be less obvious, Björk’s Vespertine is deeply embedded in the project’s spirit.”

In addition to the album’s lush and angular compositions, The Consumption is accompanied by a 40-page novella featuring illustrations by Toronto artist Sid Sharp. The book, described as a dark, modern folktale, draws inspiration from literary works such as Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh, and the demonology text The Lesser Key of Solomon by Aleister Crowley. “Once the concept became clear, the story started forming in my mind,” says Riddel. “The music and narrative are inextricably linked, each enhancing the other.”

Dr. Purgatory ‘The Consumption: A Tragic Folktale in Six Parts’ album artwork