Eternal

“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).

Branford Marsalis

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).

Jeff 'tain' Watts © Andrea Canter

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

Joey Calderazzo © Andrea Canter

Eric Reavis © Andrea Canter

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 www.branfordmarsalis.com and www.marsalismusic.com

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