Customer Reviews

Blue Interlude

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This wondrous masterwork has been a staple in my musical diet for nearly a decade and it continues to astound and delight me with each listen. "Brother Veal", the winning opener is only a prelude to Marsalis' finest composition ever "Blue Interlude" (The Bittersweet Saga Of Sugar Cane And Sweetie Pie), a sprawling 37 minute romp through the backpages of romance, the never ending dance of man & woman and a fine tribute to the towering influence of Duke Ellington. While Ellingtonian moods and voicings are used liberally throughout the title piece, the album as a whole is quite rewarding (note the New Orleans jazz feel of "And The Band Played On") and varied. The "Jubilee Suite" is a mini-epic of sorts and shows Tenor saxophonist Todd Williams to be one of the best soloists in modern jazz. (Note to Mr. Williams: You should be a leader, now!) As Wynton Marsalis' first extended piece on record, "Blue..." stands as a moment of sheer brilliance and exuberant triumph. This is not Marsalis imitating Ellington by any means, simply a young genius expanding the parameters of modern music by painting on a massive canvas laid by a legend. Essential

This CD is full of great, fun music, the sort of effort every jazz musician wishes he/she were a part of. Even the almost 38 minute Blue Interlude is an interesting step toward Wynton's eventual arrival point with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Is it among the best of his compositions? No. Is it important? After nearly 20 years, I don't think so, but it has real fun moments to recommend it. You could even say the piece is a real hip romp in the park, despite the distinct possibility it would turn into a turgid slog through the "Ellingtonian oeuvre."

Unfortunately, by purchasing the CD, you also get 5+ minutes of Wynton sermonizing about the 38-minute "interlude." The sermon form worked on The Majesty of the Blues album, mostly because of its stylistic references to good ol' country Baptist preaching. On this CD, Wynton just drones on about what the next piece of music will attempt to communicate. As I recall, the Duke never did anything to compare to Wynton's embarrassing yacking. Fortunately, Wynton never recorded such yacking again, at least to my knowledge.

A lot of goodness exists in these recordings, but like a tasty stew with a clump of cat hair in it, it's hard to get past the fur ball in the middle of the album.