BRANFORD MARSALIS - Romances for Saxophone (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

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. by Paula Edelstein
Tracklist:
1    L' isle joyeuse, for piano, L. 106    6:46
Claude Debussy
Orchestrated by Michel Colombier        
2    Pavane, for orchestra & chorus ad lib in F sharp minor, Op. 50 5:44  
Gabriel Fauré
Arabesques (2) for piano, L. 66  
3    Arabesque No.1, Orchestrated by Michel Colombier 4:15   
Claude Debussy
Vocalise, instrumental arrangement, Op. 34/14  
4    Vocalise, Edited by Michel Colombier 6:01  
Sergey Rachmaninov
5    Pastorale, song without words for voice & piano 2:43  
Igor Stravinsky
6    Emmanuel, for saxophone & orchestra 2:52      
7    Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5, for voice & 8 cellos, A. 389 5:36      
Heitor Villa-Lobos
8    Gymnopedie for piano No. 3 2:31  
Erik Satie
9    Prélude, for piano 3:19      
Maurice Ravel
Edited by Michel Colombier    
10    Vocalise-Étude en forme de Habanera, for voice & piano 2:44
Maurice Ravel
11    Sicilienne, for cello & piano, Op. 78    3:36  
Gabriel Fauré
Edited by Michel Colombier     
12    Serenade for piano in A major 2:59  
Igor Stravinsky
Pictures at an Exhibition (Kartinki s vïstavski), for piano  
13    The Old Castle, Edited by Michel Colombier 4:25
Modest Mussorgsky
Directed By – Andrew Litton
Orchestra – The English Chamber Orchestra
Orchestrated By – Michel Colombier
Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - Eternal (2004) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Eternal finds saxophonist Branford Marsalis in a contemplative mood performing a mix of original and standard ballads with his usual quartet of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. The title track, written for his wife Nicole, is a hushed and cerebral affair, but never feels anything but warm. Similarly, the lead-off track, "The Ruby and the Pearl," contains the faint blush of Ellington-ian exoticism and "Gloomy Sunday" brings to mind the rumbling and atmospheric late-'60s work of longtime Marsalis touchstone John Coltrane. The album, his second solo outing for his Marsalis Music label, is dedicated in memory to a list of people one can only assume were as influential musically on Marsalis as emotionally. Among them are bassist Malachi Favors, drummer Elvin Jones, saxophonist Steve Lacy, and the one and only Ray Charles. Their spirits are palpable here as Marsalis and his band have clearly documented a handful of quietly beautiful and deeply moving performances. by Matt Collar
Tracklist:
1    The Ruby And The Pearl 8:53
Written-By – Livingston & Evans
2    Reika's Loss 7:51
Written-By – Jeff "Tain" Watts
3    Gloomy Sunday 12:43
Lyrics By – Sam Lewis
Written-By – Laszlo Javor, Rezső Seress
4    The Lonely Swan 9:04
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
5    Dinner For One Please, James 8:00
Written-By – Michael Carr
6    Muldoon 4:13
Written-By – Eric Revis
7    Eternal 17:41
Written-By – Branford Marsalis
8    Body And Soul (Bonus Track) 5:09
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Jeff "Tain" Watts
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Recorded By, Mixed By – Rob "Wacko" Hunter
Saxophone, Producer – Branford Marsalis

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - Four MFs Playin' Tunes (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

There was no doubt that when Jeff "Tain" Watts left the Branford Marsalis Quartet in 2009, they would take some time to regroup. They recruited then 18-year-old drummer Justin Faulkner, confusing many fans. But Marsalis knew what he was doing. Faulkner makes his BMQ debut on the no-nonsense Four MFs Playin' Tunes. The program features seven originals and two covers, recorded over a couple of days in 2011. There isn't any conceptual bent to what's here; the definition is in the humorous title -- four jazzmen investing themselves fully in a set of diverse compositions, focusing on the details of collective conversation, interplay, harmony, and improvisation. Faulkner has a fine balance of skills: he's physical, he possesses a forcefulness that drives this group, but he can also dance with real finesse. Joey Calderazzo's sprightly "The Mighty Sword," which has a slightly tropical Latin tinge, features excellent dialogue between Marsalis' soprano and the pianist in the high register. Faulkner pushes from the outside with frenetic snare, cymbal, and tom-tom work as bassist Eric Revis swings like mad underneath. Another highlight is the bassist's nearly mystical ballad "Maestra," which moves from speculative to an outright flow of elegance and emotion without ever losing its restraint. The cover of Monk's "Teo" is more about rhythmic dialogue than anything else. There is little harmonic revelation here, but the joy the group displays in playing its changes and the slippery series of extra and syncopated beats Faulkner slides in make it delightful. Marsalis' "Whiplash" is exactly what it claims to be: a driving, knotty hard bop tune with excellent tenor, piano, and drum solos. There's also a longer reprise of Calderazzo's "Endymion" from his and Marsalis' 2011 duet album, Songs of Mirth and Melancholy. With labyrinthine lyric exchanges by the pianist and Marsalis' tenor, the rhythm section -- in a dazzling intricate display of its own -- moves it beyond its classical leanings and into more adventurous terrain. Revis' bass here is so illustrative that Calderazzo could have gone off in any direction from the wide-angled melody. The saxophonist's "Treat It Gentle" is given gorgeous, straight-ahead blues ballad treatment with tasteful, lightly swinging solos; it stretches to over nine minutes. Four MFs Playin' Tunes is a solid return by the BMQ. Rather than offer anything new, they instead focus on re-introducing the band as a creative unit whose capacity for musical excellence is undiminished. by Thom Jurek
Tracklist:
1    The Mighty Sword 7:08
Composed By – Joey Calderazzo
2    Brews 5:12
Composed By – Eric Revis
3    Maestra 5:27
Composed By – Eric Revis
4    Teo 8:28
Composed By – Thelonious Monk
5    Whiplash 7:30
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
6    As Summer Into Autumn Slips 9:52
Composed By – Joey Calderazzo
7    Endymion 9:18
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
8    My Ideal 9:35
Composed By – Leo Robin, Newell Chase, Richard A. Whiting
9    Treat It Gentle 4:16
Composed By – Branford Marsalis
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Justin Faulkner
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Producer – Branford Marsalis
Recorded By, Mixed By – Rob "Wacko!" Hunter
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Branford Marsalis

BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET - The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (2019) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Since the mid-'80s, Branford Marsalis has led various incarnations of his quartet, issuing a bevy of highly inventive and playful albums like Random Abstract, Crazy People Music, and Braggtown, all of which showcase his love of swinging acoustic jazz and dynamic group interplay. 2019's The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul is no exception and finds the saxophonist balancing an expressive maturity with a continued sense of fun. Following up 2012's Four MFs Playin' Tunes, as well their 2016 Kurt Elling collaboration Upward Spiral, this iteration of the quartet features pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner (who replaced Jeff "Tain" Watts in 2009). Together, they play with a deft abandon that often borders on focused chaos. The best example of this here is the Revis-penned "Dance of the Evil Toys," a kinetic snowplow of free group improv that brings to mind Ornette Coleman. Interestingly, most of the other extroverted moments are cover songs. Marsalis dives into Keith Jarrett's "The Windup," accenting the pianist's already exuberant song with a roiling second line-meets-gospel groove that sounds like Dave Brubeck on thick caffeine. Similarly, they tackle Andrew Hill's "Snake Hip Waltz," playing gleefully within the track's off-kilter, 3/4 buoyancy and bluesy, Parisian sophistication. While post-bop dynamism is certainly one of Marsalis' fortes, he's also a deeply emotive and lyrical performer, something that colors much of his work here. "Conversation Among the Ruins" is a deeply elegiac ballad by Calderazzo that's rife with classical intonations and ends in double time swing. Marsalis even pays tribute to his late mother, Dolores Marsalis, who passed away in 2017, dedicating his song "Life Filtering from the Water Flowers" to her. It starts out as a ruminative tone poem as Marsalis' sax emerges from a silent fog, only to be joined by his bandmates in a spiral of joyful purpose. Equally mutative is Revis' "Nilaste," a harmonically nuanced minor noir in which the band investigate the song's dark shadows before exploding into the light. It's that dynamic balance, so organic to Marsalis' group, that illuminates all of The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul. by Matt Collar  
Tracklist:
1    Dance Of The Evil Toys 8:23
Written-By – Eric Revis
2    Conversation Among The Ruins 8:46
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
3    Snake Hip Waltz 5:51
Written-By – Andrew Hill
4    Cianna 7:32
Written-By – Joey Calderazzo
5    Nilaste 10:15
Written-By – Eric Revis
6    Life Filtering From The Water Flowers 9:00
Written-By – Branford Marsalis
7    The Windup 12:30
Written-By – Keith Jarrett
Credits:
Bass – Eric Revis
Drums – Justin Faulkner
Piano – Joey Calderazzo
Producer – Branford Marsalis
Saxophone – Branford Marsalis