01. Doctone (6:07)
02. Trieste (8:23)
03. A Thousand Autumns (10:38)
04. Lykief (9:40)
05. Bullworth (6:35)
06. Elysium (9:35)
07. Cassandra (8:48)
08. 16th St. Baptist Church (9:43)

Branford Marsalis: Saxophone, Main Performer
Eric Revis: Bass
Jeff "Tain" Watts: Drums
Kenny Kirkland: Piano

Branford Marsalis' longtime pianist Kenny Kirkland died two months after the sessions for this album began -- hence the title -- and after a futile attempt to finish the recording in December 1998, Branford decided to leave the music as is, first takes and all. If there are any serious flaws in the playing, they will escape the vast majority of ears out there, for this is an uncompromising, well-played disc of acoustic jazz that leans a bit toward adventure at times. At first, Branford's foursome (Kirkland, Eric Revis on bass, and Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums) seems content to turn out a pretty good facsimile of the John Coltrane Quartet, with Kirkland playing brilliantly and reflectively in the McCoy Tyner manner. But with "Lykief" -- a pun on Keith Jarrett's name -- Branford takes up Jarrett's long unanswered challenge and pushes through a tumbling, nearly rhythmically free piece attractively anchored by Jarrett's gospel harmonies and melodic methods. "Bullworth" blasts off on a Watts hip-hop rhythm, with Branford going nuts in an angular bit of soloing, and "16th St. Baptist Church" apparently sends the CD home on a funky New Orleans street march, only to be followed by a touching, uncredited Marsalis/Kirkland benediction. Once again, the post-Tonight Show, post-Buckshot Marsalis makes a credibly serious jazz statement in what turned out to be the swan song for one of the neo-bop era's finest lineups. --- Richard S. Ginell, Rovi

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1.L'isle Joyeuse [Debussy]
2.Pavane [Faure]
3.Arabesque No. 1 [Debussy]
4.Vocalise [Rachmaninoff]
5.Pastorale [Stravinsky]
6.Emmanuel [Colombier]
7.Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 [Villa-Lobos]
8.Gymnopedie No. 3 [Satie]
9.Prelude [Ravel]
10.Piece en Forme de Habanera [Ravel]
11.Sicilienne [Faure]
12.Serenata [Stravinsky]
13.The Old Castle [Mussorgsky]

Branford Marsalis – soprano saxophone
English Chamber Orchestra
Andrew Litton – conductor

Romances for Saxophone was released in 1986 by CBS Masterworks' Light Classics division. Branford Marsalis, usually known for his jazz background, asserts his mastery of the soprano saxophone on this excellent collection of romantic chamber music. Accompanied by the English Chamber Orchestra, Marsalis indulges us with some of his most fervent music yet. Each piece explores a different aspect of love and romance. Vocalese, originally for the soprano voice, portray the vocal lyricism and musicality of Marsalis' soprano saxophone. The "Rachmaninoff Vocalese" is an exceptional confirmation of the mastery of tone and musicianship that defines the music Marsalis is known for. Other well-known works, such as Debussy's L'Isle Joyeuse and Stravinsky's Pastorale, brilliantly contrast the air that Marsalis has played since 1981. The French and Russian compositions add a new dimension to the young Marsalis repertoire classical romantic. ---Paula Edelstein, allmusic.com

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1.  Housed From Edward (Branford Marsalis) 9:29 
2.  The Nearness of You (Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington) 10:34 
3.  Three Little Words (Bert Kalmar/Harry Ruby) 5:07 			play
4.  Makin' Whoopee (Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn) 0:47 
5.  Ummg (Billy Strayhorn) 7:09 
6.  Gutbucket Steepy (Branford Marsalis/Jeff Watts/Milt Hinton) 6:18 	play
7.  Doxy (Sonny Rollins) 7:57 
8.  Makin' Whoopee (reprise) (Walter Donaldson/Gus Kahn) 9:06 
9.  Peace (Ornette Coleman) 9:09 
10.  Random Abstract (Tain's Rampage) (Branford Marsalis) 8:00 

Personnel: 
Branford Marsalis (Tenor and Soprano Saxophone) 
Milt Hinton (Double Bass) - 1-6,8 
Delbert Felix (Double Bass) - 7,9,10 
Jeff "Tain" Watts (Drums)

Branford Marsalis clearly had a lot of fun during this set. On seven of the ten numbers included on the double LP (the CD reissue actually has one less selection), Marsalis romps on tenor and soprano in a trio with veteran bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts; the remaining three numbers have Delbert Felix in Hinton's place. The performances are quite spontaneous (the occasional mistakes were purposely left in) and Marsalis really romps on such tunes as "Three Little Words," "Makin' Whoopee," and "Doxy." On the joyful outing that is also one of Branford Marsalis' most accessible recordings, Milt Hinton often steals the show. ---Scott Yanow

This 1989 release features Branford Marsalis in a trio setting, performing with drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and legendary bassist Milt Hinton. Marsalis plays with his usual insightful and unerring sense of melody and rhythmic variety. He possesses great leadership qualities, and few of his contemporaries have developed the pianoless trio concept like him. On the Carmichael/Washington classic, "The Nearness of You," Branford Marsalis pays homage to Sonny Rollins without ever sounding derivative; the trio performs with subtle counterpoint and delicate interplay, and Marsalis soliloquizes with abrupt, yet lyrical phrases. TRIO JEEPY swings with the authority only bassists of Hinton's caliber can command; he didn't get the nickname "The Judge" for nothing. His legacy is his sturdy time and huge, round sound. This is most apparent on "Three Little Words," where he employs his inimitable slap-bass technique. On this tune, drummer Jeff Watts sits out--Hinton's groove needs no embellishment. ---cduniverse.com

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01. There's A Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon For New York
02. Blue Gardenia
03. From One Island To Another
04. Practical Arrangement
05. Doxy
06. I'm A Fool To Want You
07. West Virginia Rose
08. So Tinha De Ser Com Voce
09. Momma Said
10. Cassandra Song
11. Blue Velvet
12. The Return (Upward Spiral)
13. Long As You're Living (bonus)

Branford Marsalis - saxophones
Joey Calderazzo - piano
Eric Revis - bass
Justin Faulkner - drums
Kurt Elling – vocals

Titans of modern jazz in their own rights, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and vocalist Kurt Elling bring their immense strengths together on their sophisticated and nuanced collaboration, 2016's Upward Spiral. Perhaps not the first time Marsalis has showcased a vocalist on a recording, it is the first time he's worked exclusively with one singer throughout an entire album. While the album never feels dated or retro, it fits nicely into the tradition of vocalist and instrumentalist collaborations like 1961's Nancy Wilson & Cannonball Adderley and 1963's classic John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman. Like those albums, Upward Spiral is less an album featuring a singer backed by a jazz ensemble, and more of an album that details the meeting of two highly creative artists whose talents intertwine to find new avenues of expression. Joining in the creative process here is Marsalis' longtime rhythm section featuring pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner. Despite the high level of mastery on display, Marsalis and Elling don't overthink the proceedings and simply stick to a thoughtfully curated batch of covers and originals. This gives the album the feel of like-minded artists communing over a shared love and appreciation of each song. Some cuts, like the breezy Gershwin number "There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York" and the swinging, off-kilter Sonny Rollins composition "Doxy," sound like pick-up jams chosen in the moment. Others, like Chris Whitley's "From One Island to Another," and the Marsalis and Elling co-write "Cassandra Song," have a theatrical, impressionistic flow born out of the duo's thoughtful arranging. They split the difference on "I'm a Fool to Want You," transforming Frank Sinatra's torchy standard into a mournful, yet somehow still playful duet. Elsewhere, they delve into a languid melodicism on Antonio Carlos Jobim's "So Tinha de Ser Com Voce," make room for spoken word poetry on "Momma Said," and deliver what is certainly one of the most delicate and otherworldly readings of "Blue Velvet." Primarily, Upward Spiral finds Elling and Marsalis communicating through song, both of them offering tactile, well-organized performances that linger in your mind. ---Matt Collar, Rovi

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1. Jack Baker (14:12) 
2. Hope (11:02) 
3. Fate (8:24) 
4. Blakzilla (12:39) 
5. O Solitude (7:48) 
6. Sir Roderick The Aloof (5:45) 
7. Black Elk Speaks (14:18)      

Branford Marsalis - tenor & soprano sax 
Joey Calderazzo - piano 
Eric Revis - bass 
Jeff "Tain" Watts – drums

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis' Braggtown finds the ever-evolving tenor man in a more action-oriented state of mind than his contemplative 2004 release Eternal. Having tackled the gigantically epic task of reworking John Coltrane's most well-known opus "A Love Supreme" on Footsteps of Our Fathers in 2002, it should come as no surprise that the Coltrane sound still lingers palpably over all the music on Braggtown. But rather than imitating or aping Coltrane's style, Marsalis has ingested the legendary innovator's concepts, utilizing them in his own unique way. Working once again with his stellar rhythm section of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and longtime partner in "time" drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, Marsalis has come up with a collection of original songs perfectly suited for the muscular and sensitive group interplay this ensemble excels at. To these ends, "Jack Baker" is a funky and angular call to arms with Marsalis inverting a repeated theme as the band roils around him. Quickly changing gears, Marsalis moves to his trademark soprano for the gorgeously plaintive Calderazzo ballad "Hope." The noirish, dramatic "Blakzilla" features a bawdy and moody rubato opening that soon descends to a hyperkinetic bluesy mid-section. Interestingly, recalling his superb classical album Creation, Marsalis has re-purposed Henry Purcell's stately and sad ballad "O Solitude" here as well. The other tracks on Braggtown are equally engaging and, as evidenced by the fiery, avant-garde burn out closer "Black Elk Speaks," speak to Marsalis' abundant creative energy. --- Matt Collar, allmusic.com

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1. In The Crease
2. Requiem
3. Elysium
4. Cheek To Cheek
5. Tain Mutiny
6. Ayanna
7. Countronius Rex

Musicians:
Branford Marsalis - Saxophones
Joey Calderazzo - Piano
Jeff "Tain" Watts - Drums
Eric Revis – Bass

On Contemporary Jazz, Branford Marsalis shows clear evidence that he's far from satisfied in his quest for excellence on his horns and with his composer's pen. Writing with an exceptional sense of rhythm in particular, Marsalis churns out an eight-chapter gem with this outing. Though he's become a real contender on the soprano saxophone, Contemporary Jazz is a straight, tenorsax quartet date. Marsalis regales in his quartet's company, which has become a real band now that pianist Joey Calderazzo and bassist Eric Revis have been fully indoctrinated in the keen communication between Marsalis and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. That communication is now a four-way roundtable, making this band one of the most impressive working today. The lone standard, "Cheek to Cheek," opens with its melody implied and closes as a giddy mambo. Ever the trickster, Marsalis ends the CD with a hidden track, "Sleepy Hollow," a blues that would do Ben Webster proud. But from the rollicking opener, "In the Crease," to the lovely tone poem "Requiem" that follows, and from Tain's clap-happy, Mississippi-muddy "Countronious Rex" to the outer edges the band exhaustively explores on "Elysium," Contemporary Jazz is a complete package. ---Willard Jenkins, jazztimes.com

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01 The Return Of The Jitney Man 5:57 
02 The Blossom Of Parting 8:53 
03 Jabberwocky 5:16 
04 Abe Vigoda 5:22 
05 Rhythm-a-Ning 8:04 
06 Sphere 6:15 
07 The Last Goodbye 8:29 
08 And Then, He Was Gone 3:17 
09 Samo 10:01   

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

The Branford Marsalis Quartet has been together in its current form for a decade, long enough to develop a common intuition and a strong collective voice: the elusive goal of any band in the ever-mutating postbop mainstream. Taking its lead from Mr. Marsalis, a saxophonist of obstinate candor, the band has become both looser and more imposingly self-assured. “Metamorphosen,” its new album, captures that dynamic almost perfectly.

The title may be a touch misleading, though, since transformation isn’t really the point here. What the music on “Metamorphosen” more readily suggests is a refinement of convictions, an incremental sort of progress. On the whole the album expands on ideas that have preoccupied Mr. Marsalis throughout his career: strong melody, tumultuous yet unambiguous rhythm, and a resiliently pragmatic relationship to the jazz tradition.

He contributes just one composition, “Jabberwocky,” but he makes it count, producing a theme with a corkscrew momentum and a style knowingly evocative of Lennie Tristano. (On it he plays alto saxophone rather than his usual tenor or soprano.) Then there are at least two songs by each of his band mates — the drummer Jeff (Tain) Watts, the bassist Eric Revis and the pianist Joey Calderazzo — along with Thelonious Monk’s “Rhythm-a-Ning.”

Though this repertory is eclectic, it isn’t remotely a grab bag. Mr. Calderazzo’s writing encourages a flowing, diaphanous lyricism from the ensemble; Mr. Watts strikes up a frankly exploratory intensity; Mr. Revis works with intervals in a way that yields a kind of dark intrigue. It all fits because every piece highlights a facet of the band — and because each musician, starting with Mr. Marsalis, commits himself fully throughout. ---Nat Chinen, nytimes.com

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1. Roused About (Robert Hurst) 8:11 
2. The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born (Branford Marsalis) 9:56 
3. Xavier's Lair (Branford Marsalis) 8:56 
4. Cain and Abel (Branford Marsalis) 7:50 
5. Citizen Tain (Branford Marsalis) 8:05 
6. Gilligan's Isle (Branford Marsalis) 10:47 
7. Dewey Baby (Branford Marsalis) 9:09 
8. Beat's Remark (Robert Hurst) 9:49   

Branford Marsalis (Saxophones) 
Robert Hurst (Double Bass) 
Jeff "Tain" Watts (Drums) 
Wynton Marsalis (Trumpet) - 4 
Courtney Pine (Tenor Saxophone) – 7

This set is one of Branford Marsalis' strongest of the 1990s. Marsalis really stretches out on eight numbers including six of his originals (the other two songs are by bassist Bob Hurst). There is one guest appearance apiece from brother-trumpeter Wynton and tenor saxophonist Courtney Pine but otherwise Branford is accompanied only by Hurst and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. His playing is often reminiscent in style (but not really sound) of John Coltrane, he is more concise and disciplined than in some of his early-'90s concert appearances and Marsalis is at his most explorative on this inventive blowing session. --Scott Yanow, Rovi

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1. Dark Keys
2. Hesitation			play
3. Thousand Autumns
4. Sentinel
5. Lykeif				play
6. Judas Iscariot
7. Blu Tain
8. Schott Happens

Branford Marsalis (tenor & soprano saxophones); 
Reginald Veal (bass); 
Jeff "Tain" Watts (drums).
+
Kenny Garrett (alto saxophone) - 6; 
Joe Lovano (tenor saxophone) - 4.

Dark Keys is Branford Marsalis' first major solo album since taking a leave from recording to be the musical director of The Tonight Show in 1993. Instead of following through with the hip-hop inclinations of Buckshot LeFonque, Marsalis has returned to traditional jazz, yet this is far from standard bop. Marsalis pushes at the borders of post-bop, adding elements of hip-hop and rock & roll, making for an adventurous and exciting listen. Occasionally, his experiments are unsuccessful, yet they are never less than intriguing. --- Leo Stanley

THE DARK KEYS is Branford's first recording in the jazz trio format since his acclaimed 1993 album Bloomington. As before, Marsalis teamed with his long-time drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, while bringing in Reginald Veal as the band's new bassist. Adding even more drama, saxophone greats Joe Lovano and Kenny Garrett joined Marsalis for a pair of horn duets on THE DARK KEYS.

Somehow it's hard to picture: Branford Marsalis, the roaring lion of the saxophone, out on the links wielding a putter. Yet that's where he's likely to be found these days as he pursues a new-found passion for golf. "I find golf is a lot like music," he says. "It's a battle against yourself. Golf is hard. Music is hard. To get the nuances of either takes a long time." Anyone acquainted with the music of Branford Marsalis would agree that he's put in the time and won the battle. For any remaining skeptics, Branford offers his new Columbia album, THE DARK KEYS, a wonderment of texture, mood, and air-tight ensemble performance.

Produced by Delfeayo Marsalis, THE DARK KEYS is Branford's first recording in the jazz trio format since his acclaimed 1993 album Bloomington. As before, Marsalis teamed with his long-time drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, while bringing in Reginald Veal as the band's new bassist. Adding even more drama, saxophone greats Joe Lovano and Kenny Garrett joined Marsalis for a pair of horn duets on THE DARK KEYS.

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1. No Backstage Pass 
2.. Scenes In The City 
3. Solstice 
4. Waiting For Tain 
5. No Sidestepping 
6. Parable

Personnel: 
Branford Marsalis (soprano & tenor saxophones); 
John Longo (trumpet); 
Robin Eubanks (trombone); 
Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Kirkland (piano); 
Ron Carter, Ray Drummond, Charnett Moffett, Phil Bowler (bass); 
Marvin Smith, Jeffrey Watts (drums).

Branford Marsalis's debut as a leader is ambitious yet consistently successful. On "Scenes of the City," his narrative is in the same spirit of some of Charles Mingus's recordings of the 1950s. Otherwise the music is in the modern mainstream vein with Marsalis (on tenor and soprano) hinting strongly at Wayne Shorter and John Coltrane, along with a touch of Sonny Rollins. The backup crew includes such notable young lions as pianist Mulgrew Miller and Kenny Kirkland, bassist Charnett Moffett, and drummers Jeff "Tain" Watts and Marvin "Smitty" Smith in addition to bassist Ron Carter. It's an impressive start to a notable career. ---Scott Yanow, AMG

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