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Branford & Ellis Marsalis: The Dawn of Marsalis Music
by Mark Corroto
The first family of jazz, the Marsalis of New Orleans, have seemingly been in the eye of a musical hurricane for the past twenty years. With the news that Saxophonist Branford Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis had severed their ties with Sony music, comes the announcement that they have formed the independent label Marsalis Music. Multiple-Grammy winner Branford Marsalis has recently recorded Footsteps Of Our Fathers, a tribute to John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, and the ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis: Contemporary Jazz
by Mark Corroto
Although the penultimate release from Branford Marsalis was entitled Requiem, this outing for sure embodies a fitting tribute to Kenny Kirkland. The pianist died mid-recording of Branford’s last disc, shocking the young saxophonist and causing him to find a new rhythm section leader. Well actually Tain Watts is the center of any rhythm scene wherever he plays. Calderazzo fills the Kirkland role in a sort of meddling way. While and accomplished pianist on his own, Calderazzo doesn’t fit nicely into ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis: Contemporary Jazz
by Mark Corroto
Although the penultimate release from Branford Marsalis was entitled Requiem, this outing for sure embodies a fitting tribute to Kenny Kirkland. The pianist died mid-recording of Branford’s last disc, shocking the young saxophonist and causing him to find a new rhythm section leader. Well actually Tain Watts is the center of any rhythm scene wherever he plays. Calderazzo fills the Kirkland role in a sort of meddling way. While and accomplished pianist on his own, Calderazzo doesn’t fit nicely into ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis: Requiem
by Ian Nicolson
For ten years or so, since Crazy People Music back in 1990, Branford Marsalis has steered well clear of the definitive in Jazz. He's played sax with Sting, Tina Turner, and Gangstarr, led Jay Leno's Tonight Show band, toured with Dizzy, made movies with Danny De Vito, recorded Blues-based albums starring B B King and Lightnin' Hopkins, hosted an illuminating and influential National Public Radio Jazz programme in the US, even subbed for David Murray in the World Saxophone Quartet. ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis: Requiem
by Bob Margolis
Telepathy. Elasticity. Forward looking. Branford Marsalis's new release, “Requiem" makes us glad Steepy brought back the quartet form to his music and makes us even more profoundly sad about the tragic passing of pianist Kenny Kirkland. Although the original plan was to get used to the material, hone it on the road and come back to the studio and re-record, this record shows a band as tight as any unit in the business and shows a great leap forward in ...
Continue ReadingBenny Golson: Tenor Legacy
by Jack Bowers
Benny Golson is back, this time with a salute to 10 legends of the tenor saxophone (including Benny himself, of course). It's such a daunting task that Golson has called for help, sharing the spotlight with tenors Branford Marsalis (on “Body and Soul," dedicated to Coleman Hawkins), Harold Ashby (on five tracks) and James Carter (on four), both of whom take part in a three-tenor conclave with Golson on the busy opener, Lester Young's “Lester Leaps In." Other celebrated tenor ...
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