Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Marcus Roberts: Portraits in Blue

25

Marcus Roberts: Portraits in Blue

By

Sign in to view read count
Marcus Roberts: Portraits in Blue
This has to be the most raucous, the most bluesy, the most improvisational "Rhapsody in Blue" ever recorded. And not all of the best improvisation is by Marcus Roberts. Wailing clarinets and wandering trumpets abound. And it is all in a spirit of the original, so much so that I believe jazz-loving George Gershwin would have approved.

All of Gershwin's original music is there, but much of it is taken at unusual tempos—speeded up, slowed down or synchopated—with many additional minutes of improvisation that actually fit with the original. I'm usually a traditionalist, so I wasn't sure I really wanted to hear a 28-minute "Rhapsody in Blue," figuring it probably had a lot of filler. It doesn't. This is music that's interesting and worth hearing.

Oh yes, there are also two additional pieces, which are very, very good.

The 20-minute James P. Johnson piece, "Yamekraw," is NOT stride piano, which threw me for a loop. But it IS a sort of answer to Gershwin's "Rhapsody." Written just three years after the Gershwin original, it is also a multi-themed bluesy mini-symphony. An historic curiosity, for sure, but also musically adventurous.

Finally, Roberts plays a 12-minute version of Gershwin's "I Got Rhythm Variations," which are catchy and inventive. But Rhapsody is what you're buying here, and it may be the best one I've ever heard. Certainly the bluest.

Track Listing

Rhapsody in Blue; Yamekraw; I Got Rhythm Variations

Personnel

Marcus Roberts, piano

Album information

Title: Portraits in Blue | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Columbia Records

Comments

Tags

Concerts

Apr 19 Fri
Apr 19 Fri
Apr 20 Sat
Apr 20 Sat

For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.