Record Reviews

WYNTON MARSALIS / LINCOLN CENTER JAZZ ORCHESTRA ~ CAST OF CATS NOT ON LABEL ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 Released: 2003 As much as I hate malls, outlets and the "shopping experience" in general, which often becomes an integral part of any touristic venture, especially in the US of A, I must admit that this album fell into my lap while visiting an outlet. Imagine my surprise when I saw a Wynton MarsalisFind albums by this artist album, of the existence of which I was completely unaware, being sold in a posh men clothing store called Brooks Brothers. Even more surprising was the fact that this album was recorded for and released exclusively by Brooks Brothers. It took me about a couple of seconds to realize I had a hot potato in my hand and to buy the entire stock (all 4 CDs). The album´s insert includes the following sentence: "Brooks Brothers is proud to be a major sponsor of Jazz at Lincoln Center and the exclusive clothier of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra with Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis. The LCJO and Mr. Marsalis perform throughout the world wearing Brooks Brothers clothing… bringing two great American classics together." Only in America! The above, although having absolutely nothing to do with Wynton´s music, illustrates why he is such a controversial public figure, with supporters and opponents fighting bitterly and openly in the media since many years. I must admit I find his taste in garments to be elegant and classy ;) The album includes thirteen original compositions by Wynton, all of which are performed in a quartet (or trio on tracks 5 & 10) setting, each with a different soloist, accompanied by the rhythm session comprising of pianist Bill CharlapFind albums by this artist, bassist Carlos HenriquezFind albums by this artist and drummer Herlin RileyFind albums by this artist. Wynton performs only on the opening track of the album, the rest of the soloist being members of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. The performances are all quite excellent of course, as these are some of the best Jazz players around, handpicked and trained by Wynton. The compositions are quite charming, all kept well within the early Jazz tradition, which Wynton admires and considers as the only "true" Jazz around. They do sound remarkably like Jazz standards, but of course they aren´t. Wynton´s incredible talent as a composer needs no further promotion, as his remarkable output speaks for itself for years. Overall this is simply a great, beautifully played and recorded classic Jazz album, which is good enough for any true Jazz lover (even one that dislikes Wynton and anything he stands for) to embrace. As for Wynton and his tactics – I really don´t give a damn is hi signs a pact with Brook Brothers or the devil, as long as he keeps making the fantastic music he always did and keeps Jazz alive and kicking, which is more than I can say about his adversaries. I really hope you can get a copy of this album, although when I checked upon my return home, it now costs about as much as any piece of clothing sold at Brooks Brothers. Lucky me!

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