Product Description

The Quartet: Marsalis (saxophones), Joey Calderazzo (piano), Eric Revis (bass), Jeff Tain Watts (drums)

METAMORPHOSEN marks a decade of shared creativity by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, and is another milestone in the history of one of the most compelling and complete ensembles in jazz. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff Tain Watts reveal even greater refinements in virtuosity, vision and telepathic response in a program featuring original compositions by all four members plus a Thelonious Monk classic, Marsalis return to the alto sax in addition to features for his more familiar tenor and soprano, and an unrivalled sense of collective purpose. The album title, which is German for metamorphoses, reflects the growth of both the quartet and of each member, an evolution that has generated music of even greater clarity without any sacrifice in intensity.

Track Listing

1. The Return Of The Jitney Man
2. The Blossom Of Parting
3. Jabberwocky
4. Abe Vigoda
5. Rhythm-a-ning
6. Sphere
7. The Last Goodbye
8. And Then, He Was Gone
9. Samo

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3431 in Music
• Released on: 2009-03-17
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .19 pounds

About the Artist
Time flies when you are making great music, as Branford Marsalis will be the first to attest. "I had no idea that two years had passed since we made our last album," says the celebrated saxophonist, composer, producer and leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet. The realization prompted a simple charge to Quartet members Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis and Jeff "Tain"Watts. "At the end of our European tour this summer, I just told the guys, `We're going into the studio next month.'' The results of that visit to Durham, North Carolina's Hayti Heritage Center, Metamorphosen, is another milestone from an ensemble that continues to set the pace regarding jazz creativity. Marsalis Music will release the latest statement by its founder in March 2009. Marsalis chose the title, which is German for "metamorphoses," to emphasize the evolution of both his venerable ensemble (now in its second decade with identical personnel) and each individual member. "We've all been practicing," he emphasizes, "and you can hear it in the development of the music and in our sound. The more that each of us practices, the more our individual sounds become centered. Now, while we are all in the same room, it sounds as if each of the instruments were isolated. That's what practice will do for you." Engineer Rob Hunter agrees that the Quartet's sound is "just as intense as before, but different. What comes out is very clean, and I attribute that to how well the guys are playing." Another key element is the ever-widening scope of the band's repertoire. "We try to do everything," Marsalis explains. "We run the gamut, and are prepared to play anything at any time, including songs we don't know. The guys have to be listening to all kinds of music, but these are incredible musicians who are really good at playing in a variety of styles." Each member of the Quartet confirms the importance of this approach. "My other sideman experiences let me get better at the stuff I was already good at, but the other stuff never got addressed," says pianist Calderazzo. "In this band, I've had to deal with everything. It's been like getting a gig with Betty Carter or Art Blakey at an older age. I have more options, and I've gotten better." The proof is in Calderazzo's inspired playing throughout, and in his two beautiful compositions, "The Blossom of Parting" and "The Last Goodbye." For bassist Revis, personal and ensemble growth are inseparable. "Branford and the band have allowed me to realize my own voice. As you become more comfortable, personal barriers start breaking down. I've always tried to grow, but now I do it with a purpose -and we're all like that. You can develop a lot more at home, and this is home." Revis' growth is most obvious in his three contributions to the program: the loping "Sphere" ("a specific idea that, once developed, sounded Monkish"), cryptic "Abe Vigoda" and unaccompanied bass feature "And Then, He was Gone," written to mark his son's maturity and "leaving the nest." Drummer Watts, who has been playing with Marsalis since they were classmates at Berklee College, speaks of how "The band is trying to turn the corner.We can already come from five or six formats strongly; but from this recording on I feel like there will be even more personal avenues. The band is not changing through a consolidated effort, because that probably wouldn't work. It's more about individuals picking up their game, and each of us picking up on that. Everyone is also bringing in more music, which also flips a switch. While this is definitely Branford's group, I feel like it's my group, too, and I welcome every opportunity to make a statement with it." This time out,Watts contributes "The Return of the Jitney Man" ("It's about my father, who did a lot of construction work but also drove a jitney when the holidays approached, and trying to get closer to his work ethic.") and "Samo ©," a phrase intended for a larger work that took on a life of its own and is dedicated to the late visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Completing the program is the Quartet's take on Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning" and Marsalis' own "Jabberwocky," a treacherous 19-bar form that features his first recording on alto saxophone in over two decades. "I realized that I was the only person who didn't have a song to bring to the session," he recalls. "Then I went on a holiday with my family and began to hear `Jabberwocky' in my head. All I had with me was an alto saxophone, and I thought that I'd transcribe it for soprano or tenor when I got home. But it didn't sound as good on either of those horns, so for that track I'm back on alto." "The band is the theme," Marsalis offers in summing up Metamorphosen. "We just picked songs that are good, and you can't play the stuff we're playing unless you're in a working band.We stay together because we all want to be here. A lot of people prefer to play it safe, touring in `super bands,' being responsible only for themselves. When you have a band, you get defined in comparison to other great bands. And that's why I play jazz. I want to be defined by a body of work. "My father likes to call recordings `documents,'" Marsalis concludes, "and I know what he means. They document how good you are, or how good you aren't." Metamorphosen documents one of the preeminent ensembles in contemporary music, getting even better.

Customer Reviews

Stellar Compositions and Performance
Listening to the Branford Marsalis Quartet's Metamorphosen is an experience that leaves me stunned by the beauty and complexity of both their composition and performance skills. This is a wonderful example of jazz that is musically tight yet expressive and improvisational. The interplay of the four musicians is spectacular with first one and then another or two at a time seamlessly taking the lead or all four playing in perfect synchronization. This is a virtuoso performance by an experienced quartet with each performer clearly a star in his own right.

Compositionally as well this is a collaborative effort with Branford Marsalis himself contributing only the single composition Jaberwocky, which features him on alto sax. Instead this recording features two or three compositions from each of the other members plus Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning for a total of nine tracks. The shortest track (3:17) is bassist Revis' composition and solo performance "And Then, He Was Gone" in which the elegance of Revis' playing belies the traditional rhythm and beat role of the bass.

The other tracks range from 5 to 10 minutes in length allowing the group to fully develop a theme, adding layers and exploring as the pieces progress. The tracks range from the upbeat and energetic such as Jitney Man, Jaberwocky and Rhythm-a-ning to the beautiful and melancholic such as The Blossom of Parting, The Last Goodbye, (and) And Then He was Gone. Metamorphosen concludes with drummer Watts' wonderful composition Samo with 10 minutes of mid tempo jazz which simply allows the listener to bask in the glow of a wonderful performance featuring the quartet playing in perfectly synchronized collaboration.

Remarkably you can still listen to the whole album (As of November 21, 2009)
at marsalismusicdotcom/metamorphosen/

Branford does it, yet again...
Branford's Quartet has been together for 10 plus years - which is nearly unheard of in jazz - but it shows in the recordings. "Eternal" will always be one of my favorites - and the last one, "Braggtown" was brutally intense and unforgiving. This time out we get a compromise or a "Metamorphonsen" of the last two studio recordings of this virtuosically stellar band. Not all the material is grade "A" but the musicianship is second to none. Like his brother Wynton, Branford pulls ribbons of sound, slashing out of his saxophone - to the sheer delight of all that listen.

Drummer Watts always seems to write the best material for the quartet - so be sure to add those two numbers to your Itunes 'frequently played' list.

Of course nothing compares to the live renditions of such material and such amazing musicians. Fortunately, this recording is immaculate and each nuance and concept is carried out thoughtfully...

Another winner - and something we've certainly come to expect from Branford these days...

~T

Could be this year's best jazz release
Another great release from the quartet...they still sound fresh and exciting and the album is full of great compositions. There are a couple of angular medlodic tunes that don't do much for me, except "A Blossom of Parting". This tune builds and builds with tension until it finally peaks and is resolved by a wonderful piano ending. This gives the tune the sigh of relief it needed after all the built up tension - I love it when tunes end the way this one does - (i.e. Exit Music (for a film) performed by Brad Mehldau's Trio at the Village Vanguard Vol. 3). The rest of the tunes are full of spontaneity and excitement that keep the listener on edge.