Random Abstract

Branford Marsalis | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 25, 1990)
• Original Release Date: June 28, 1988
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000026I5
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #210,376 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

jazz - post bop new orleans.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steep hits a home run....Again, September 7, 2000

By 

swingswingswing (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Random Abstract (Audio CD)

For all those people who are looking for an album that is just a vehicle to display their technical prowess this isn't the album for you. For those people searching for an album that represents the highest level of music being produced at the time, Random Abstract is what you've been searching for. Recorded in 1987 at the time where the direction of jazz had been heading in a different direction for quite some time, Random Abstract re-focuses that bearing to what some people may call mainstream today. As the third jazz album to be released by Branford Marsalis there is evidence that an artist mature beyond his years has emerged. In not only sound but also his ability to create melody's that can stand on their own, without the aid of a band to back them up.

Random Abstract comprises of several tributes to some of the main contributors to Branford's concept of music. The two most memorable is Crescent City, a tribute to John Coltrane's 1963-1964 period, and his `steep plays bean' version of I Thought About You. You can tell there is a close place in Branford's heart for Ben Webster when he plays a whole song as accurate as he can in one persons style. The hidden track on his latest release Contemporary Jazz is only testimony to this fact. The other is a tip of the cap to the Blue Note concept with a fantastic rendition of Wayne Shorter's Yes And No. Yesterdays is also a highlight not only because of the groups cohesiveness as a unit but also the unusually slow tempo.

This cd conforms to Wynton's "if it doesn't have a blues on it, you should take it back". Broadway Fools swings from start to finish, particularly the bass of the then up and coming Delbert Felix. Lewis Nash also shines but the blow out on Lon Jellis is where we find there is a powerhouse that had been shadowed by Jeff "Tain" Watts. I don't think words can describe what Kenny Kirkland achieves on this record. Wether it be a blow out, a tender rendition of Yesterdays or a hard swinging I Thought About You he tears everything up. For the fans of the Marsalis family you will be pleased to know that to obtain more wood sound from the bass, this disc was recorded without the usage of the dreaded bass direct.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars It's good., February 22, 2002

By 

Feller who likes Old Yeller "bottomline5" (Webster, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Random Abstract (Audio CD)

I like this CD and listen to it occasionally. Some of the tunes really swing out, man. I'd like to hear more of Steep's Theme, but it's only 30 seconds long. What's up with that? I guess that's all it is, just the theme. Lots of good playing here. Thank goodness the dreaded bass direct was not used, though I would have liked to hear a few bass solos so that the absence of the dreaded bass direct could be fully enjoyed.

The liner notes are terrible. It seems like they were put together as an afterthought. I just want a list of performers and composer credits for each tune, is that so much to ask?

A good CD, but seems to lack a certain je ne sais quois. I think it lacks a commitment to some sort of artistic ideal. Not that it's not artistic, it just isn't focused. I enjoy it, but after listening feel as though it could have been better somehow.

3 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars let's be realistic, September 22, 2000

By 

Joseph D. Martin "M Lucky" (Oakland, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Random Abstract (Audio CD)

I'm a big fan of Branford, but this recording definitely belongs to the category of apprentice-level work and those who purchase it expecting a five-star CD will probably be disappointed. As with all of his releases prior to the "Trio Jeepy" lp, this one finds Branford doing what many young musicians do: imitating his idols at the expense of true improvisation and creativity. One can almost listen, track by track, and say, "OK, here he's doing Ben Webster, here it's Sonny Rolling, here Wayne Shorter" and so forth. It's not bad music, by any means, but as someone who has followed Branford's career with interest, I would say that most listeners will want to avoid the pre-"Trio Jeepy" records like this one, but by all means shell out for more mature efforts like "Crazy People Music," "Bloomington" and "Contemporary Jazz."