Customer Reviews

J Mood

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

How the JAZZ likes me and Wynton Marsalis is one of which more. This `J MOOD' record was recorded when Brandford Marsalis and Kenny Kirkland chose to leave Wynton Marsalis' group to make money with Sting.
So, Wynton had to regroup fast for this recording with bassist Robert Hurst III and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts who has been developing what is now the most inventive style of all younger drummers at the time. Also the trumpeter met up with the blinded pianist Marcus Roberts for the first time getting all of them a wonderful record. Wynton was still very much under Miles Davis's influence at the time and in this record is very noticeable as in the marvellous "Much Later" by instead, but at age 24 he already had rather remarkable technique to be a future number one as he is. He performs whit consistently creative fashion on these seven unpredictable tracks and I would highlight the relaxed "J Mood", "Insane Asylum", the great quality of "Skain's Domain" and the beautiful "Presence That Lament Brings". Highly recommended and I give it 5 stars.

Wynton ventures deeper into blues and hard bop here than he ever had before, and he's adept at both genres. The title track starts things off and, while it does trail off before it ends, sets into a solid bluesy groove and showcases some of Marcus Roberts' finest piano playing. He also performs one of his most successful Miles Davis tributes, "Presence That Lament Brings", with a sensitive reading of the melody from a muted trumpet. Then the wild retrobopper "Insane Asylum" comes along and throws off the mood, but that's such a good tribute to the subgenre most people associate with jazz that I don't care. Tain is especially great on that tune; the bop fun continues on "Skain's Domain". The other ballad, "After", is my favorite song on this album. It sounds a ton like Miles Davis, but it's really, really, really amazing Miles Davis. Like, you know, one of his classic pensive ballads. I would be happy if Wynton made a whole album of nothing but songs like "After". A couple songs, like the bebopping "Melodique" and the mid-tempo "Much Later", are slight, but enjoyable while they're playing - if only Brandford had played on this album (he was recording with Sting at the time), it would be the best album of Marsalis' career. Because yes, the lack of a second horn player does kind of hurt, especially given how good the chemistry between the Marsalis brothers is - which is only to be expected, of course. But anyway, Marsalis fans owe it to themselves to get this album.

Recorded in 1986 with Marcus Roberts ( "J Master ) : Piano - Robert Leslie Hurst III : Bass - Jeff "Tain" Watts : Drums, this wonderful Cd is absolutely required in all jazz library, the music is plenty of energy, melody, communication ... Great art and music, to get absolutely at home ! Emilio L. ( Dordogne, France ).

Well, I never saw Tain with Wynton, but I have seen him with Branford many times, and I always love it. But somehow, I think my favorite Tain on record is here, especially the title track. The Branford records are good too, but this has a "rawer" feeling to me somehow...it is too bad Wynton went Dixieland shortly after this.

(There is the great "Blues Alley" album with this band, too.)

Lemme say this that this was the 1st album I got introduced to Wynton is also one-of-a-kind hero to me and mostly the baddest trumpet player out there in history. He's such a genius!

Also after that, I then got introduced with other releases that he had put out back then (e.g. Standard Time, Vol. 2: Intimacy Calling, Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1, The All American Hero, etc.)

I can't say enuff about this man or the album. This is sure a good album even tho you're interested as a beginner or non-listener to jazz.

This was my introduction to a lot of things--Jazz-related, of course. Things like New Orleans, where Mr. Marsalis, and his equally talented brother, Branford, are from; also, Gumbo, Jambalaya, and Anne Rice's enigmatically human vampires prowling cat-like about the French Quarter. All of the lazy, lush, exotic, and even slightly belligerent flavors that make up New Orleans are here, in my biased opinion. And with them, the makings of a recipe you'll want to hand down to your children's children. I highly recommend this for those who want to know what the cognac-colored heart of jazz sounds like. Peace.