Search - Wynton Marsalis :: Popular Songs: The Best of Wynton Marsalis

Jazz by numbers

p dizzle | augusta, georgia, USA | 09/09/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"wynton marsalis blazed into the jazz spotlight back in the early 1980s after a great start with art blakey and others. he was able to make jazz a mainstream product gaining a wide audience and sparking a renaissance of sorts. his own quartet and quintet of that period showcased young talent (jeff watts, kenny kirkland, marcus roberts, and even marsalis' brother branford played in the band). his sound was kind of like an updated miles davis quintet. as the 90s opened, mr. marsalis took a turn in his playing, reclaiming the duke ellington sound and interplay of a larger band. mr. marsalis formed his celebrated septet and eventually took the reigns of the lincoln center jazz orchestra. many critics and fans lost their taste for him at this point, claiming mr. marsalis had become hidebound and so conservative he killed the innovative spirit of the music he had become the major spokesperson for. he stopped innovating, and just began replicating. this compilation focuses on the latter period rather than the former, and will do nothing to silence the critics. the album leans heavily on the septet in all of its forms revealing that ellingtonian sonority. this band swung hard and could play unbelievably well. highlights are "sunflowers" and "rondo...(pedro's getaway)". the conservatism is felt on some of the standards, but mr. marsalis plays impeccably. but therein lay the problem-- the band had talent to burn but rarely did. (one exception is on the live boxed set, "live at the village vanguard"). the lone number from 1985 (featuring the quintet of marsalis, branford marsalis, kirkland, watts, and charnett moffat) "black codes", reveals the power that band could muster. i wish mr. marsalis would recapture that spark. when he wanted to, he had the fire of all the incendiary trumpets of the past, including armstrong, davis, gillespie, hubbard, and lee morgan. lately, he seems too content being the spokesperson. seek out the albums from the 80s, and leave this one alone."

Career Spanning Sampler of This Premier Musician

rodboomboom | Dearborn, Michigan United States | 04/27/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Marsalis is such an excellent musician due to his recognition across musical categories, esp. jazz and classical. Little of the latter is here, but the wide array of jazz influcence on this premier trumpeter of our time.The New Orleans edge and influence is here, e.g. Root Grove cut.
More to my liking is his great rendition of "I Got Lost In Her Arms" (I. Berlin) and the fantastic "Where or When" which melts in your ears, this is so good.More movement jazz is well represented by such as "Cherokee" and an exceptional cut, "Black Codes". The fire which drives this quality performer over the years is here well exhibited in the styles that have influenced him, here with his own twist and feeling clearly heard and enjoyed. While some might find him not ascending to levels they wish he'd take us to, I find with each listening here the warmth and comfort and richness of his musical settings performed to so high a performance standard that we listeners are moved and touched by them.How bright a piece is "Sunflowers?" This is representative of his composition talents and I dig this! The blend here of sax's and bass clarinet along with his hornwork on teamed with a great rythym or the slowed-down sexy "Invitation" with its lusty sax intro up to its jive session outbursts by the instrumental artists which surround him.His mastery of sound is on the move upwards to heights which will clearly set the bar for those who follow this, one of jazz treasures."