Marsalis Music 
http://www.marsalismusic.com/releases/eternal

* Branford Marsalis: saxophones
* Joey Calderazzo: piano
* Eric Revis: bass
* Jeff "Tain" Watts: drums

Homepage: 
http://www.branfordmarsalis.com/

Review
~~~~~~ 
http://www.jazzpolice.com/content/view/6661/79/
by Andrea Canter

“All of the songs reflect the idea that there is beauty in sadness. Even sad
songs sound happy when some people interpret them, like the singers who make
`Black Coffee’ sultry, and there are other musicians who only approach a song
in a theoretical manner. I was aiming for what Billie Holiday could do, which
was to get to the emotions of each song.”
– Branford Marsalis, on “Eternal.”


If the Marsalis Family of New Orleans had only one son to give to jazz, it would
have been enough. But each of four musical offspring of pianist Ellis Marsalis
(Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason) has found his place as a performer,
recording artist, educator, and producer. While trumpeter Wynton’s leadership
with Jazz at Lincoln Center and profile in Ken Burns’ documentary give him the
most visibility, eldest brother, saxophonist Branford, may prove to be the most
eclectic and creative Marsalis. Certainly his most recent recordings and
production projects give ample evidence that there is far more to this musician
than film scores and Jay Leno arrangements, not the least of which is the
Grammy-nominated Eternal (Marsalis Music, 2004).

With his working quartet (pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Reavis, and
drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts), Marsalis extends his reach into the realm of modern
balladry, the result worthy of inclusion on anyone’s “Best of 2004”
list. Nominated for five Jazz Journalist Association awards as well as a Grammy,
Eternal “covers lots of ground stylistically, from near-retro sounds to more
floating, contemporary playing. It is always strong while conveying sensitivity
and vulnerability” (Peter Hum, Ottawa Citizen).

Eternal opens with “Ruby and the Pearl”, a tune by Raymond Evans and Jay
Livingston that Marsalis heard performed by Nat King Cole. As the opening track,
this reading sets the stage for a sensuous, restrained, and simply beautiful
recording, and singly may be one of the most gorgeous tunes for soprano sax in
the modern jazz canon. In his online liner notes, Rafi Zabor describes this
track as “a suave, soigné bolero”; indeed it feels like one should be slow
dancing in the embrace of a passionate lover. Marked by percussive restraint by
the typically explosive Watts, Marsalis sends a final note lingering long on the
air.

The drummer provides “Reika’s Loss,” in which the soprano sax takes the melody
over the counterpoint of bass and piano, in a Miles Davis-like celestial
blend. Watts is all shimmer, while Calderazzo’s solo and improvisations take the
melody apart, yet preserve its overall beauty and solemnity. Popularized by
Billie Holiday, “Gloomy Sunday” (aka the “suicide song” by Seress and Javor) is
aptly described by Zabor as a “impassioned, doomstruck recitative” with “bluesy
subtextual implications,”and Marsalis tenor solo indeed “proceeds to quietly
tear your heart out.” Watts offers a gentle storm warning in his opening mallet
work that slowly rises as the storm closes in. Marsalis conjures whiffs of Ben
Webster’s ghost with a 21st century reed, and Calderazzo brings forth another
gorgeous, minimalist solo. Zabor describes the pianist’s “The Lonely Swan” as “a
nouveau bossa;” piano and soprano sax carry the melody line over the clicking
and softly crashing efforts of Watts, while Revis’ provides effective ostinato
figures in the bassline. On Nat King Cole’s “Dinner for One, Please James,”
Marsalis sings yet another gorgeous melody, this time on tenor, and a tenor
worthy of the phrases and vibrato of another era. Watts provides some laid-back
brushwork, Calerazzo a lovely solo interlude, and Reavis maintains a steady,
other-worldly pulse. Reavis’ “Muldoon” is a tenor/piano duet, a tour de force
for Marsalis and Calderazzo.

But the showpiece is the title track, “Eternal,” Marsalis’ tribute to his wife
Nicole. tribute to his wife Nicole Zabor notes some initial hints of Coltrane,
but there’s also a hymn-like melodicism reminiscent of recent works of Charles
Lloyd. Over 17 minutes, “Eternal” builds and builds in intensity, speed, and
passion, reaching a climax at about 13 minutes, then returning to a quiet
reflection, as if a great flood has been unleashed and now the waters recede;
great sheets of shimmers from Watts accompanied by pounding mallets.

Noted John Fordham (The Guardian), Eternal offers “no fierce harangues or
wayward Ornette Colemanisms, just plenty of romantic long-note caressing, soft
Latin glides, cafe-music clinches… Marsalis sharply reins in his ability to pack
a lot of saxophone activity into tight spaces. He concentrates instead on the
shapeliness of the short, motif-like figures, the meticulous articulation of
isolated sounds, and the melodic possibilities dictated by the tunes.”

More information about Branford Marsalis and tour schedule is available at 
http://www.branfordmarsalis.com and http://www.marsalismusic.com


--------------------------------------------------------------------------


En castellano: