Track Listing

1. Giggin' - Ornette Coleman
2. The Freedom Suite - Sonny Rollins: Movement I
3. Movement II
4. Movement III
5. Movement IV
6. A Love Supreme - John Coltrane: I - Acknowledgement
7. II - Resolution
8. III - Pursuance
9. IV - Psalm
10. Concorde - John Lewis

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #112793 in Music
• Released on: 2002-08-13
• Number of discs: 1

Amazon.com
Branford, the oldest and most exploratory of the Marsalis brothers, launches his new label with his most ambitious recording to date. He isn't just invoking the giants of modern tenor sax, he's playing their most demanding extended compositions--Sonny Rollins's "Freedom Suite" and John Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." Marsalis rises to the challenge handily. "Freedom Suite" is all rhythmic nuance and kinetic blues, sly wit and subtle swing, played with just bass and drums, as was the original. Marsalis previously recorded "A Love Supreme" in 1994 on Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool, but the results are far superior here, as he's grown into the emotional dimensions of Coltrane's suite. The extended solo on "Resolution," and the even more intense exploration of "Pursuance," mark high points among Marsalis's recordings. This is just as much an achievement for his remarkable band, with solid support from pianist Joey Calderazzo and bassist Eric Revis, and, above all, the consistently fresh and sometimes explosive drumming of Jeff "Tain" Watts. Ornette Coleman's "Giggin'" and John Lewis's "Concorde" bookend the major works. --Stuart Broomer

Customer Reviews

Respectful and tasteful homage--in their own voices. Rare.
Mr. Marsalis and his exceptional bandmates have accomplished something fairly rare in jazz. They pay homage to four greats--Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, and John Lewis--by performing their songs in the masters spirit, but without muting their own outstanding younger voices. This requires an extraordinary sensitivity to the jazz tradition as well as a mastery of one's own instrument and one's own musical conception.

Mr. Marsalis plays the Coleman piece on soprano, an interesting choice since I don't think Mr. Coleman has recorded on that demanding and expressive instrument. Marsalis lays down an Coleman sensibility without either copying or being cloying.

Next is Sonny Rollins's "The Freedom Suite," a challenging piece--sans piano. Sonny could carry a trio in his prime (and still plays well in other settings), and so can Brandford. Again, the piece is recognizibly Rollins, but distinctively Marsalis. It does not disapoint.

Brandford shows some courage in performing all four movements of a piece of jazz-sacred music (if you will), John Coltrane's, "A Love Supreme." Few have touched this since its release in 1964, although Wynton Marsalis performed the whole piece (with Elvin Jones) on NRP a few months ago. (No CD from this has been released, sadly. It was masterful.) Every movement of this extremely moving piece is, again, well within the mood and texture of Trane's original; but something new and good is added. Branford wisely does not attempt to out play Coltrane (as he makes clear in his liner notes). That would be absurd, anyway. However, Branford adds his own strengths, and at times plays more "outside" than Trane did at that period of his development (1964). Some of Brandford's playing reminds me a bit of some of Trane's supersonic runs on "Interstellar Space." That is no small achievement.

The last piece lowers the intensity, but not the tastefullness. However, I might have put "A Love Supreme" at the end of the recording. Silence is most appropriate after the original piece or after this version. Silence...

All the players shine, but, besides Branford, I particulary enjoy Jeff Watts--a very inventive, nimble, but powerful percussionist. Not many--if any--other drummers could provide the needed spark and sensitivity for "A Love Supreme," originally performed by Elvin Jones. Watts solos might even be a notch above Elvin's, since Elvin's strength, to my mind, is his time keeping more than his soloing.

The musicians responsible for this beautiful album should be contratulated. Thank you, gentleman. The musicians who inspired it should be praised as well. (Only Ornette and Sonny remain in the land of the living.) But the highest praise belongs to the Giver of every good and perfect gift, aesthetic or otherwise.

Douglas Groothuis

Bold and Beautiful
Branford Marsalis has never been one to shy away from a challenge. Clearly the most adventuresome of the Marsalis brothers, Branford is bold, creative and very imaginative. His previous two Quartet recordings were evolutionary and great warm up fodder for "Footsteps of Our Fathers." Branford and company pay homage to Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane and John Lewis on this bold and beautiful testiment of Jazz. One could easily get lost in the past with these four compositions, but Brandon manages to update and modernize these classics without disrespecting their places in Jazz history. It is fun to here these masterpieces played by a modern master.

The Quartet is in top-notch form on all levels and the music flows well throughout the disc. The group chemistry is very strong and each member gets a chance to solo and show their respect to these great "Fathers". My favorite highlight is the way Jeff "Tain" Watts and Eric Revis solo during the transitions on "A Love Supreme. These guys are great musicians. Joey Calderazzo is amazing. He has great imagination and skills. Branford's touch and feel are on the money throughout this disc. He can play tenor with the best of them. His solo on "A Love Supreme" knocks me out. John Coltrane would be very proud. I would love to hear this band tackle a couple of Dexter Gordon tunes on the next CD.

There is a feeling of freedom and independence on this recording. As challenging and difficult as some of this music is to play, there is a relaxed peace vibing throughout the entire affair. If this is what we can come to expect from Branford and his new recording label, they are off to a wonderful start. Great job Branford. I can't wait to catch you live. Peace & Enjoy.

strong playing as usual but...
I'd have to agree with most of everyone's remarks but for one critical issue: the recording itself. Bass and drums are so pumped throughout the playing that shamefully, it almost becomes a struggle to hear the fine playing of Marsalis and Calderazzo- let's face it, though this is a quartet, they represent the polyphonic voices in the unit (NOT to slight Watts and Revis, but they are too upront in the mix at the expense of sax and piano). This time the fault lies with the production. A pity, because with the slightest adjustment on the board this could all have been avoided. Still, it kicks with a variety of moods and clear reverence for the masters of the genre, who Marsalis is assuredly and rapidly joining through his output and devotion to pure jazz.