BRANFORD MARSALIS Band, and We Got out of It What We Needed 10 Jazz Records
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JULY/AUGUST 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JULY/AUGUST 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN Why the provocative title? in 2001, we were huffing and puffing when ESSENTIAL MARSALIS I actually didn’t want to call the record that. it was over. I bit through my lip—there was Every time I make an album, I never come up blood all over my mouthpiece. I’m blessed with a title, and my management company that I don’t have a fear of sounding bad in THE BEAUTYFUL presses me for one. To buy time, I come front of people. When I listen to early jazz ONES ARE NOT up with the stupidest title I can think of. So and read about it, there wasn’t a fear of YET BORN when they asked this time, I told them. They failure. Cats would just go out and play. Now (1991) said, “That’s great!” I said, “Not great. You guys practice, practice, practice, then they It took Marsalis several can’t use that!” Yes, I’ve got a potty mouth, rehearse for six days, then they make the years to find his way as but I don’t just put it out there. But they ran record and it sounds like a bulwark against a leader, and it wasn’t until this release, with it. Usually they’re telling me, “You can’t the possibility of something spontaneous seven years after his solo debut, that he use that.” But this time they loved it, so I said, actually happening. left no doubt he was to be a major player. “Maybe I should just shut up.” Branford displays his investigative zeal to How did you approach the new album? its fullest here. The title pretty much says it all. We took the same approach we always take. When you think about the history of jazz But we’re years better—better musicians, I HEARD YOU TWICE recordings, they’d call a session, dudes better instrumentalists, and we listen to THE FIRST TIME would play some tunes and they’d put it out. many different styles of music so songs (1992) Then John Coltrane did A Love Supreme, can be more versatile. And Justin brings a Marsalis innately which is the ultimate concept record. Sonny fresh attitude, a youthful energy. It wasn’t understands the Rollins did Freedom Suite and Max Roach like we played badly, but then the kid comes relationship between jazz did the Freedom Now Suite. But I reject the in and starts changing up the songs and and the blues, and he gets right down to it idea that every record is a concept. direction. We looked at each other and here, bringing in no less than B.B. King, John said, “We became the old married couple Lee Hooker and Joe Louis Walker—along and didn’t even realize it.” with brothers Wynton and Delfeayo—to kick things up. ‘You can always How do you stay interested in projects? I have a love of music—that helps. You CREATION find music that can always find music that kicks your ass. (2001) There are some musicians who prefer to This was Marsalis’ kicks your ass.’ use music as a vehicle to validate their first serious effort as position. A magazine from years ago would a classical artist, a What about your version of 2002’s ask musicians what they’re listening to. collaboration with the Palma Kolansky A Love Supreme? The rap guys would name 10 rap records, conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, I didn’t do it as a concept record. A Love metal guys would name 10 metal albums. showcasing works by Debussy, Ravel and Supreme for me was a challenge for the But my listening taste was much wider than Milhaud. Stunningly recorded and expertly BRANFORD MARSALIS band, and we got out of it what we needed 10 jazz records. I’m more inclined to listen executed, it’s a gorgeous display of Marsalis’ to get out of it. to dead classical guys now. affinity for this music. Some call it magic but for this sax genius it’s just “playin’ tunes” Why remake such an iconic album? How do you benefit from playing THE STEEP By Jeff Tamarkin Because of the rewards. One of the things other genres? ANTHOLOGY for me was the fear factor—everyone is afraid You bring something back every time you (2004) BRANFORD MARSALIS HAS NEVER BEEN ONE TO HOLD Art Blakey, Branford’s approach to music has pushed boundaries, of it. But Bach and Mozart wrote masses. play with someone. I didn’t play jazz as a kid; This single-disc back. The 52-year-old tenor and soprano saxophonist freely says even when exiting jazz for the worlds of rock (a Sting band member There are all these tributes to God that I didn’t like it. I was geared toward popular anthology—Marsalis’ only and plays what he wants. So the title of his quartet’s new release for more than a decade), classical (a composer since 2000), and TV are played ad infinitum today—Handel’s music growing up. My dad had a firm belief one to date—is the way Four MFs Playin’ Tunes shouldn’t shock anyone—but it does. “A (The Tonight Show bandleader from 1992-95). Marsalis has recorded Messiah, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio—yet that any music is hard enough to play if you to go for those who’d prefer to dip lightly. writer came to the session and asked my least favorite question: more than a dozen albums and won three Grammys, and also for some reason, the one record dedicated like it. But if you don’t like it, you’ve got no Nonchronologically sequenced, the 10 tracks ‘What’s the concept of this record?’” recalls Marsalis. “I told him, serves as an artist-in-residence at North Carolina Central University. to God by a jazz musician should never be shot. He wasn’t interested in pushing me in range from some of the artist’s earliest as ‘Records don’t have concepts.’ He said, ‘A lot of guys wouldn’t Four MFs Playin’ Tunes was recorded at the Hayti Center in played again? That’s BS. It gives musicians any specific direction. a leader up through 1999’s “Doctone,” agree with that.’ And I said, ‘OK, you know what the concept is? Durham, N.C., the city Marsalis has called home since 2002—and an out, and they don’t have to deal with the featuring the original Quartet. It’s four MFs playin’ tunes.’ He went, ‘What? That’s it?’ I said, was created with longtime Branford Marsalis Quartet members fact that they can’t play it. There are tons of What did you learn from Art Blakey? ‘Yeah. We’re just playin’ tunes.’” Joey Calderazzo (piano) and Eric Revis (bass), and newest addition, guys who listen to Coltrane, so how come That I didn’t know anything about jazz. He SONGS OF MIRTH For the eldest of pianist Ellis Marsalis’ five jazz-playing sons, 20-year-old drummer Justin Faulkner. “Our whole thing is to play they don’t sound like Coltrane? Because never felt the need to let me know how much AND MELANCHOLY “just playin’ tunes” has been an ever-evolving journey of discovery. tunes with emotional effect,” says Marsalis. The outspoken artist they did not do the work that Coltrane did he actually knew. But when he would talk (2011) Since the Louisiana-born artist’s early days performing with gave us his take on the new album and what he’s learned from John to get to where he was. about things he liked, you’d get a sense of Joey Calderazzo has younger brother Wynton and apprenticing with legendary drummer Coltrane, Art Blakey, Miles Davis and The Tonight Show. how much he knew. It was mind-blowing been Marsalis’ pianist So you weren’t afraid of the work. how much information he had. I wasn’t of choice for nearly One of the things I knew the band would one of his favorite guys—he didn’t like me 15 years. At long last, the two sent the ‘When I listen to early jazz, there wasn’t a fear of benefit from was the challenge of having to very much. I have a strong personality, and rhythm section home and collaborated on play music with sustained levels of intensity when I came into the band I had a couple of this intimate, ornate collection of original failure. Cats would just go and play.’ for 40 minutes or more. Who does that confrontations with some guys after about compositions and a pair of intriguing covers anymore? The first time we played it, in Paris six weeks of putting up with their BS. But (Wayne Shorter and Johannes Brahms). 64 65 M mag 21_cs6.indd 64 8/30/12 10:15 PM M mag 21_cs6.indd 65 8/30/12 10:16 PM JULY/AUGUST 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JULY/AUGUST 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM MUSICIAN Inset: Eric Ryan Anderson Douglas Mason/Getty Images Onstage in Newport, R.I., 2007 Joey Calderazzo, Marsalis, Justin Faulkner, Eric Revis ‘Our whole thing is to play tunes IMPROV ROYALTY with emotional effect.’ For three decades, jam-band kings the the stuff I learned from him musically I still my ears and react to what was going on. Grateful Dead have invited like-minded use on the bandstand now. It wasn’t until he That’s what his genius was.