Wynton Marsalis Septet: Wynton Marsalis (trumpet, piano); Todd Williams (soprano & tenor saxophones, clarinet); Wessell Anderson (alto saxophone); Wycliffe Gordon (trombone); Marcus Roberts (piano); Reginald Veal (bass); Herlin Riley (drums).
Recorded at BMG Studios, New York, New York. Includes liner notes by Stanley Crouch.
Wynton Marsalis Septet: Todd Williams (clarinet, saxophone); Wessell Anderson (saxophone); Wynton Marsalis (trumpet, piano); Wycliffe Gordon (trombone); Marcus Roberts (piano); Reginald Veal (bass instrument); Herlin Riley (drums).
Wynton takes us down Blues Alley for this session, right into the New Orleans Heartbreak Hotel. A palpable blues feeling pervade this session--you can almost imagine yourself in a smoky nightclub in the Latin Quarter. The band plays with more swagger here than usual, balancing--in that Ellingtonian sense--rich, precise orchestrations with earthy-as-the-dirt grit. The sax players' sounds are rich with the blues, in the often-overlooked tradition of Jackie McLean, Lou Donaldson, Red Holloway and David "Fathead" Newman. Oh yes, it swings, too, with Charles Mingus-like ferocity at times. Those who think Marsalis' stuff is too "clean" or "traditionally-minded" or "sterile" should pick up this excellent album.
Professional Reviews
Rolling Stone (8/20/92, p.52) - 4 Stars - Excellent - "...has the potential to alter the course of contemporary jazz...Excising some of the ego from jazz has been Marsalis's most radical act; the triumph of BLUE INTERLUDE lies in the sum of its parts, not in its individual glories..."
Entertainment Weekly (7/31/92, p.63) - "...long notes, luxuriant horn textures, slow, bluesy tempos, and long-form compositions..." - Rating: A-
Down Beat (8/92, p.42) - 4.5 Stars - Very Good Plus - "...beautifully executes Marsalis' stated fundamentals of jazz: a communal conception of improvising, vocal effects on instruments, swinging rhythms, blues, and a sense of mystery and melancholy..."
Jazziz (Dec.-Jan./92, p.94) - Picked by critic Josef Woodard as one of the 10 best jazz albums of 1992.
