Customer Reviews

Romare Bearden Revealed

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Why did Branford Marsalis make this record? Because he was asked to do so as part of a retrospective on the artist Romare Bearden and the music that influenced him. That being said, this record, while obviously different in nature than the last several outings by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, is an excellent record that features some of the greatest playing and deepest understanding of the tradition in recent history.

The tunes on this outing are extremely well-chosen and contrary to what other reviewers would have you believe, not a single one of them is part of the mainstream jazz repertoire. They are fresh takes on several original songs, a few old forgotten songs, and several contemporary metrically intricate songs contributed by Jeff "Tain" Watts and Wynton Marsalis. Some are of the belief that emulating bands of the 60s and 70s is "modern" but that revisiting music of the prebop era is old, hackneyed and makes one a "neoclassicist" or one of several other phrases used by critics who have decided to accept foolishness over reality and join the anti-Marsalis family bandwagon.

The playing on this record is some of the finest to date from these brilliant musicians, not only on the first two tracks but also on "J Mood" and Laughin and "Talkin (With Billy Higgins)," which the two negative reviewers must not have listened to. Branford should be applauded for having the integrity to deal with some exceptionally difficult music (both artistically and technically. As an aspiring jazz musician, I can say with some degree of authority that learning to play early swing music well is an inconcievably difficult task. The nuance, phrasing and melodic vocabulary that these men possess is nothing short of astounding and to dismiss such attempts to embrace the tradition of the great American art form that is jazz and blues music is merely the product of ignorance.

For those who have been sold blindly on the idea that the Marsalis family is comprised entirely of nostolgiac men who lack an abiltiy to create contemporary music, I have some suggestions. Buy Wynton Marsalis' "Black Codes"(You will hear that Wynton was doing 20 years ago much of what musicians like Dave Douglas are being celebrated for today). Buy Branford's aptly titled record, "Contemporary Jazz" (wink). It features free music, metrically complex music, and a couple of gorgeous ballads. If you like what you hear, Branford's "Requiem" and Wynton's groundbreaking "Blood on the Fields" are exceptional records.

All said, buy this record, the music speaks for itself.

This will be short. It is worth the price of this album just to hear the Branford and Harry Connick Jr. duet Carolina Shout. That being said, all of the other tracks on this album are excellent. From Jungle Blues to Doug Wamble's solo guitar on Autumn Lamp, with this record you get a pile of blues and at the same time gain an appreciation for Romare Breaden's art. A must have. Branford keeps outdoing himself.

Reading the negative reviews has prompted me to write and I am wondering if these reviewers read Robert O'Meally's liner notes for each piece of Bearden's art. This album is a brilliant fusion of two art forms. Each track masterfully adapts to a title of art. The creation of visual music is crafted perfectly on Bearden Revealed.

I find much of the debate raging here quite ideological in nature. Let's listen to the music. And this in many ways seems to go more into the direction of some of Branford's older recordings, and Wynton has a strong impact on this session, it seems. So for those who cherish that, this CD is an asset. For those, however, who rather look for something like Branford's more recent stuff, this CD will be a disappointment. Characteristically, you'll find just one original composition by Branford (and he definitely has written more convincing pieces). Some more words. The CD has much blues, and some of Wynton's performances are just great. The interpretation of J Mood, for instance, is marvellous. The appearance of Doug Wamble on the guitar (he also has a solo number) is quite refreshing. To conclude, I find that this is a strong CD, but not necessarily a step forward, nor the best that Branford Marsalis has ever made (but he also produced some worse albums).

I suggest spending some time browsing the works of Bearden online while listening. This isn't a LIVE CD as the Amazon listing would suggest. RecordedÊJune 23 - 25, 2003 at Clinton Studios, New York NY. This disc, comprised entirely of newly recorded music, was produced by saxophonist Branford Marsalis in celebration ofÊThe Art of Romare Bearden, the major retrospective that opens at the National Gallery of Art inÊWashington,ÊD.C.Êon September 14 and subsequently travels to museums inÊSan Francisco,ÊDallas,ÊNew York and Atlanta during 2004 and 2005.

Whenever a jazz artist goes back to the roots, there are critics who brand his efforts as 'nostalgia', as maneuvres in recycling the all-too-familiar. As to this record, nothing could be more remote from the truth. It's one one of my favourite albums of 2003 - and there aren't too many, let me assure you of that. What Branford and his ensemble(s) achieve on this album is a celebration of the best traditions in jazz - the swing, the tenderness, the passion and -last but not least- the humour that pervade so much of classic jazz, both in concert and on disc. This is a record to enjoy alone or with friends, a perfect blend of the old and the new.

É claro que o jazz foi assassinado mas, como diz a lei, sem corpo não há crime. Romare Bearden é meu artista preferido quando o tema é jazz. Suas colagens, pinturas e demais loucuras estéticas parecem transbordar da superfície e saltar sobre nós, como que nos convidando a ouvir, dançar e curtir o jazz. Não haveria melhor capa para o excelente cd do integrante mais endiabrado da família Marsalis. Ao contrário do comportado virtuose Wynton, Branford passa aquela coisa que tanto aprecio no verdadeiro músico de jazz: a espontaneidade. A capacidade de levar na brincadeira toda a seriedade que tem cercado a escola de tradicionalistas, comandada por seu irmão do alto da torre do Lincoln Center. Branford, ao encontrar o corpo do jazz estendido no chão, solta profundos gritos de dor, lamentos sinceros de angústia e, a seguir, sai em disparada, brincando, sorrindo e improvisando como a criança que, após o enterro do pai, encontra seus amigos em plena algazarra. O jazz tem dessas coisas.

É claro que o jazz morreu. Mas, enquanto o corpo não aparece, podemos nos divertir muito com esse excelente saxofonista, genial e moleque, que é Branford Marsalis, revivendo clássicos imortais do jazz. Recomendo.

I'm more into Wynton (cause i play trumpet) but i got this album cause i like Branford a lot too, don't get me wrong. But i heard Wynton was in a few tracks on this album. so i went to borders book store where they had it set out to listen to... so i listened to it! AND IT WAS AWESOME! so i bought it, it has to be one of my favorite CD's i own. Please do not listen to the other guys who posted here saying this is a bad CD. IT'S NOT!!! TRY IT OUT!!! AFTER THAT, BUY IT!!!!!!!!

Good stuff... Highly complex and entertaining music. Branford does it again...

I don't know what Branford is trying to do. It's like he's taking two steps backward into the "let's never leave the distant past" territory of his brother Wynton, like he's abandoning all the artistic progress he made by building on the past with stuff like The Dark Keys the incredible Footsteps of Our Fathers (check out Resolution). It's not that it's a bad CD, but for Branford, it's an awful CD. Fans will be disappointed, but newcomers will only be misled.