Branford Marsalis: Belonging

It appears to be that time of year when all musicians with ties to New Orleans unveil their latest albums. This time, we are graced with a release from one of the most illustrious members of the Marsalis family. This remarkably elegant album represents Branford Marsalis and his quartet's vision of Belonging, the seminal record Keith Jarrett recorded in 1974 (ECM). This highly sophisticated reinterpretation borders on an outright rewriting of the original, with the crème de la crème of jazz musicians joining Branford Marsalis: pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner .

Belonging, as envisioned by Marsalis, delves even deeper into the complexities of the original recordings. Calderazzo, rather than merely echoing Jarrett's style, offers us sublime moments; at times so breathtaking that one can hardly believe how profoundly he has elevated Jarrett's music. Marsalis delivers truly astonishing performances, seamlessly inhabiting Jarrett's musical spirit with remarkable success. Marsalis himself admits that when Belonging was first released in 1974, his musical interests lay elsewhere. "I was a high school freshman, listening to R&B," he recalls. "I didn't even know Belonging existed." That changed when he turned to jazz. Initially, he was familiar only with Jarrett's solo piano work, until pianist Kenny Kirkland introduced him to Jarrett's European Quartet, featuring saxophonist Jan Garbarek, bassist Palle Danielsson, and drummer Jon Christensen. "We were on a plane sometime in the '80s, and Kenny put his headphones over my ears to make me listen to My Song (Jarrett, ECM, 1979). When he tried to take them back after five minutes, I grabbed his hand. As soon as we landed in the next city, I went out and bought every album that group had recorded."

Such moments of revelation are common among great musicians; knowing how to listen is just as crucial as knowing how to learn. It is through this deep listening that an artist can ultimately refine their craft to the exquisite level displayed by each member of this quartet. A similar epiphany occurred when Marsalis decided to include "The Windup" from Belonging on his previous album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (Marsalis Music, 2019). "We were all listening to 'The Windup' while working on that album, and Revis suggested we go a step further and record Belonging in its entirety. The album is phenomenal, and we knew we could bring something unique to it. We all loved the idea, but then the pandemic hit. Once it was over, our enthusiasm for the project remained just as strong."

The pandemic, a time of reflection and creativity for many artists, became the fertile ground from which this vision fully emerged. For musicians like Marsalis, it allowed for a deep, unrestrained exploration of the project. The quartet approached Belonging with the same philosophy Marsalis has applied to classics by Charles Mingus, the Modern Jazz Quartet, John Coltrane and others: neither a strict imitation of the originals nor an extreme deconstruction. "On the track 'Belonging,' I do borrow certain phrases from Jan Garbarek," Marsalis acknowledges. "I didn't hold back when it felt natural, but we never intended this as a rigid homage. I always listen to an album as a whole, not just the saxophone solos, and what impresses me most about Belonging is how seamlessly everything interlocks."

For Marsalis, the passage of time has proven to be an invaluable asset: "The greatest advantage we have is 50 years of additional musical history and the ability to channel that collective experience." The sheer intelligence of its conception, coupled with its stunning execution, makes it far more than just a convincing tribute.

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