Record Reviews

WYNTON MARSALIS ~ THE MAJESTY OF THE BLUES WOUNDED BIRD 5091 (Barcode: 664140509122) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 1989 Released: 2007 Following the initial period of intense search of his own musical identity, which lasted for about five years, trumpeter / composer Wynton MarsalisFind albums by this artist switched gears into the next phase of his illustrious career. The metamorphosis was slow and gradual, but the direction and the ultimate goal were pretty clear from the very early stages. Marsalis decided to treat his relationship with music not as a profession, where the most important facet of a musician is his skill and power of expression (or improvisational ability in Jazz), but rather as an almost messianic quest to turn music into a total art form, emphasizing its historical, philosophical, aesthetical, social and even political aspects. His albums, and often album cycles, would be much more that a series of sounds captured for posterity in a recording studio – they would become conceptual messages, in which the music would be just one layer of the total memorandum he wanted to communicate and get across, in order to educate, influence and often even preach. It didn´t take long for the music critics and later on Jazz audiences as well to start giving Marsalis a "funny" look, and later on commence a direct assault of disapproval and personal harassment. Prophets and visionaries have always suffered from public displeasure since the early days of human history, a phenomenon repeating itself time after time. This superb album is the first significant example of the "new" Marsalis. Completely emancipated from the Miles Davis complex, which haunted him from day one, he changed his relationship with the music and his instrument. From now on he was about to immerse into the roots of Jazz and present the history of the music, revitalized and interpreted his way, and where to find a better starting point than the Blues. Taking a trip back to his roots and origins, Marsalis creates a tribute to New Orleans, the cradle of Jazz. In order to express his musical ideas he realizes that he needs a larger ensemble to express his new musical vistas and therefore the quartet he used up to this point is expanded to a sextet (on this album) and soon after into a septet (a classic Jazz lineup), which would be his main vehicle for many years subsequently. The sextet includes Marsalis, saxophonists Todd WilliamsFind albums by this artist and Wes AndersonFind albums by this artist, pianist Marcus RobertsFind albums by this artist, bassist Reginald VealFind albums by this artist and drummer Herlin RileyFind albums by this artist. The album presents two separate music cycles: the first a recording by the sextet, playing music written by Marsalis, which is a modern version of early New Orleans Jazz, the second, called "The New Orleans Function" is performed by a sextet comprising of Marsalis and five veteran New Orleans musicians, again performing music written by him. The most unusual piece of the album is a lengthy sermon, delivered passionately over a musical background, lamenting the fate of the Blues in modern times (and clearly easily applicable to Jazz in general, or even all music or all culture). The sermon was written by journalist Stanley CrouchFind albums by this artist, who was a heated Marsalis supporter from day one and part of ColumbiaFind albums on this label´s PR machine promoting Marsalis to the status of a superstar. His somewhat "overheated" (read pompous) style turned out to be one of the factors, which led to the public "mutiny" against Marsalis´ domination of the Jazz scene. But disregarding the above, the sermon, obviously expressing Marsalis´ views at the time, is completely in par with the concept of this album and plays a vital role in expressing the ideology behind it. The entire strength and superb quality of the album is remarkable and a true work of art. The New Orleans Jazz is revitalized and presented in its full glory, placing this exquisite music back on the center stage after being almost completely forgotten and abandoned, except for a miniscule community of musicians and fans. Marsalis´ ability to love, understand and convey the roots of Jazz is a rare gift, and the Jazz fans from this album on will be exposed to more of the forgotten Jazz treasures thanks to his consistent effort to uncover them. Brilliant piece of music and an essential listening experience!

CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend