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I had been looking forward to the new Branford Marsalis CD, things he mentioned on a promotional video were encouraging. Although this is not quite the powerhouse I had hoped for, there are some very good “tunes” on here, as well as some that are OK. Marsalis and his crew draw from the past, particularly Monk’s abrasive hard bop, Miles’ mid-60s impressionism and Ornette’s lyrical freedom, but they also take a modern understated no nonsense approach, less extravagance and more driven focus. New drummer Justin Faulkner proves to be a great asset and almost steals the show on a couple numbers. He also helps modernize their sound with new approaches including favoring the toms over the typical ride cymbal creating an almost one man drum line.
Anyone who has seen Branford live knows he can deliver fierce tenor onslaughts with sheets of notes. The closest to that on this CD is “Whiplash”, where a quick loopy bop melody quickly gives way to Branford’s tenor solo over just drum and double bass. Joey Calderazzo is a great pianist, but its nice to hear Branford in this pure tenor trio setting. Marsalis eschews pyrotechnics on this one in exchange for clever rhythmic exchanges with Faulkner. Other highlights include two excellent modern impressionistic ballads that show off Calderazzo’s subtle piano colors. “As Summer into Autumn Slips” is almost neo-classical as Marsalis turns in his best performance on soprano sax drawing sweet oboe like sounds from his horn. “Endymion” is a sort of melodic free jazz free-for-all that features another good tenor solo and “Brews” and “Teo” supply the harsh Monk style off-center blues. The rest of the CD gets a little more eclectic and nostalgic, even getting back to the world of Sidney Bechet on bonus cut “Treat it Gentle”.
As mentioned earlier, there are some very good tunes on here, some of the more eclectic material may diminish the concentrated focus of the best ones, but on all cuts, the playing is top notch. What Branford offers is not flashy or extravagant, as reflected in the simple and really obtuse CD title.