Magic Hour

Wynton Marsalis | Format: MP3 Download

Product Details

• Original Release Date: March 9, 2004
• Release Date: March 9, 2004
• Label: BLUE NOTE
• Copyright: (C) 2004 Wynton Marsalis Enterprises, Inc. under exclusive license to Blue Note (R) a registered trademark of Capitol Records, Inc.
• Total Length: 1:01:25
• Genres:
• ASIN: B001VSDTCQ
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,066 Paid in MP3 Albums (See Top 100 Paid in MP3 Albums)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to Blue Note, March 12, 2004

By 

Benjamin Roesch (Burlington, VT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Magic Hour (Audio CD)

Wynton's Blue Note debut album, The Magic Hour, is a sweet, simple affair full of catchy melodies and tasteful playing. None of the performers (Marsalis, Ali Jackson-drums, Carlos Henriquez-bass, Eric Lewis-piano) are bending their talents to the breaking point, but that's not really the thrust of this album I don't think. It's a groove record that invites you in with open arms and says, "when jazz feels good, it's better than any musical feeling you can find, and we want you to feel good, so let's go." Marsalis is a careful composer and his melodies here are deliberately simple, the focus being on the rhythmic interplay that can be achieved between gifted musicians like the quartet he's assembled. Ali Jackson especially stands out--check out his playing on "Free to Be" and "Big Fat Hen"--grooving and full of feeling--complex but not showy. The only weak spot is "Feeling of Jazz" sung by guest vocalist Dianne Reeves, but it's not her fault. She sings well but the song's meaning is forced and doesn't feel natural. Luckily it's the first track on the record, so you can skip to track two and away you go. The recording quality is superb and makes this one a treat to listen to.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marsalis, Blue Note style, March 25, 2004

By 

G. Vliet - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic Hour (Audio CD)

I've always been a luke warm Marsalis fan. I think he has a lot of playing talent but has been sidetracked too much by a feeling of duty to Jazz which has made his composition derivative and soulless. With the exception of Majesty of the Blues his records seem simply to lack character and emotion. When I saw he'd been picked up by Blue Note I was excited to see if the traditional Blue Note energy and soul would inspire him and I think it has. The compositions on this record are basic, almost elementary, but have a childlike naïveté and playfulness that is a breath of fresh air. Moreover, it sounds like some of the best Blue Note recordings of the past both in recording style and playing. This record will probably not get good reviews from the press, or most Marsalis fans, but for those of us who are looking for something in the same spirit as the many great recordings of the 50s and 60s, there is something authentic and very worthwhile in this disc.

One note- the disc is copy protected. Of all the fans who can be trusted to respect the music, I think Blue Note's are at the top of the list and we should not be punished for supporting the label and the musicians by buying the CD.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keep it simple, March 11, 2004

By 

Eric J. Lyman (Roma, Lazio Italy) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Magic Hour (Audio CD)

This is Wynton Marsalis unplugged ... sort of. Not in the traditional sense (as far as I know his long-time septet was never "plugged") but in the sense of being stripped down to the basics, revealing an obvious and simple beauty.

If you are a fan of the dense, grandiose, aggressive and adventurous recordings Mr. Marsalis has produced in recent years then this could even be a disappointment. But if what has attracted you to Mr. Marsalis' music in the past has been its basic intelligence and themes, then this will seem like a breath of fresh air, one you might not even realize you needed.

If you know Mr. Marsalis' The Majesty of Blues released way back in 1989, then you have an idea what Magic Hour has to offer -- yes, it's been 15 long years since the modern era's ambassador for the genre produced something that so effortlessly floats out of the speakers.

This may represent a new direction or evolution for Mr. Marsalis, who will turn 43 this year. It includes a new band made up of drummer Ali Jackson, pianist Eric Lewis, and Carlos Henriquez on bass. And it is Mr. Marsalis' first album with Blue Note Records after ages recording on Columbia.

For all its merits, there are two songs here that seem not to fit, both of which involve singers, Dianne Reeves on "Feeling of Jazz," and Mr. Marsalis' long-time collaborator Bobby McFerrin on "Baby, I Love You." Of course, neither is bad (although when I first heard it, "Baby, I Love You" seemed like an afterthought) ... they just don't seem to fit the simple theme of this otherwise lovely collection.