Blood on the Fields (3-CD Digipak) [Box set]

Wynton Marsalis, Jon Hendricks, Cassandra Wilson | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 17, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000029GF
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Music
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #129,936 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Just as Charles Mingus owed a great debt to Duke Ellington, Blood on the Fields makes clear how much Wynton Marsalis owes to Mingus. Marsalis won the Pulitzer Prize for Blood in 1997, decades after Ellington should've won for any of two or three suite-length works, and it's clear this piece was worth it. The blats and instrumental slurs that ricochet into melodies are certainly Ellingtonian, but only when you consider that Mingus revised them with vigorous energy. Further, the spoken-word passages, taken by the ensemble, hearken to Mingus's "Freedom," extending the vaunted trumpeter's list of influences. The story line to Blood is simple: two Africans are stolen and enslaved; the man falls in love with the woman; and when they reach freedom, their love has a chance to flourish. The tunes are richly orchestrated, with 15 players on the ensemble's roster. Marsalis does astonishingly good things with the charts, making his group sound like a firm creative vehicle. Saxophonists James Carter and Robert Stewart provide nuanced solos behind vocalists Cassandra Wilson and Miles Griffith, adding improvisational elements that help raise the ante on this program. As a soloist, Marsalis doesn't make huge contributions, but his ample, clarity-laden tone is as ringing here as anywhere in his catalog. --Andrew Bartlett

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 19 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A True Musical Epic July 22, 2001

By Russell Cashman

Format:Audio CD

A truly epic story must have many elements such as tragedy, suspense, humor, psychological and even historical insight. This work has all that and more. The music and lyrics are intellectually and emotionally engaging and are very effectively crafted to help the listener to feel as well as follow the story. However, that does not prevent many of the songs from being catchy or much of the music from being simply delightful. I think the pieces are also composed and arranged to the strengths of the performers. I found Cassandra Wilson's vocals (and the arrangements behind them) to be especially effective. Although some of the most catchy and memorable songs belong to the male vocalists. I suspect that in a hundred years or so this work will stand out as one of the most important musical compositions of the 20th century.

11 of 14 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Maybe you had to be there April 17, 2005

By Samuel Chell HALL OF FAMETOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Audio CD

There's much of musical-narrative value to be extracted from any one of the three discs comprising Wynton's ambitious attempt to capture the odyssey of the African-American experience through jazz. And I hear more of Ellington's signature and spirit in this work than in other attempts to invoke the Master's muse. The frequently loose and polyrhythmic textures, the vocal expressiveness of the instrumentalists, the indebtedness of the singers to the instruments of jazz, the narration supplied and dramatized by Wynton himself, the balance between composition and improvisation--all are in abundant evidence throughout this lengthy program.

But having listened attentively to the program once, I doubt it will receive another playing. "Melodrama"-- the combination of music and story--is not an easy form to pull off successfully and, above all, to sustain for upwards of three hours, especially without the aid of visual choreography. After 10-15 minutes the instrumentation and textures become overly familiar, the voices of the principals begin to seem indistinguishable (not helped by the baritone register which Cassandra Wilson shares with the other singers), and the spoken narrative supplied by the band remains informative but at the expense of lightness and life.

My impatience is only increased by the discovery that a similar musical narrative, Duke's scintillating and highly personal (and very underrated) "A Drum Is a Woman," is no longer in print! Maybe it's time to call a moratorium to more latter-day original compositions until we've had time to process the rich legacy that is in danger of being lost.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent piece of work December 19, 2000

By Zzonkmiles

Format:Audio CD

This gripping 3-CD masterpiece is perhaps Wynton Marsalis's most stunning album to date. Not only is the execution of the music top notch, but the themes of the songs themselves do a superb job of capturing the very element that was the impetus behind these compositions. For example, it can sometimes be difficult to sit through "Forty Lashes" because Herlin Riley's drumwork is that powerful.

"Blood on the Fields" has a little bit of everything crammed into it. There are blues, ballads, high octane bop, and even dirges. The first two discs are especially strong. Cassandra Wilson, John Hendricks, and Miles Griffin sing passionately. Perhaps the strongest pieces are "You Don't Hear No Drums," "Move Over," "Soul For Sale," and "Plantation Coffle March." On the second disc, "God Don't Like Ugly" reaches a rare level of intensity that is reminiscent of "Holy Ghost" on "In This House, On This Morning."

Wynton does an excellent job of showcasing his compositional genius with this album, and the orchestra does an excellent job showcasing its technical talent. There are some stunning riffs, stratospheric cadences, and light-speed ensemble passages to study.

There are, however, two weaknesses to this otherwise brilliant piece of work. The third disc in particular is not as engaging as the first two are. The songs don't convey the same degree of intensity, and the songs themselves are largely devoid of any real action. The other minor gripe is the reading of the passages between some songs. The passages aren't read in complete unison, so it seems raggedy.

Despite these two issues, the lion's share of the music in this 3-CD set is brilliant, intense, and well-executed. It is definitely deserving of a serious listen, not just for its musical merits, but also for its historical and educational significance.