Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

JAZZ

Branford Marsalis Quartet

Four MFs Playin' Tunes (Marsalis Music)

Don't let the understated title of the new Branford Marsalis Quartet album mislead you into thinking this is some loosely arranged jam session. Saxophonist Marsalis leads one of the most cohesive, intense small jazz ensembles on the scene today. The group's three long-standing members -- Marsalis, pianist Joey Calderazzo and bassist Eric Revis -- each contribute original tunes to Four MFs Playin' Tunes and there are covers of Thelonious Monk's Teo and the 1930s ballad My Ideal.

The CD begins with two tunes showcasing Marsalis' prowess on soprano sax -- Calderazzo's playful, energetic The Mighty Sword, with a catchy calypso-like theme reminiscent of Sonny Rollins, and Revis' bluesy Monk-influenced Brews, where Marsalis turns in a blazing solo. It closes with Marsalis turning down the heat on the romantic standard My Ideal with a touching, tender tenor sax solo and on the bonus track Treat It Gentle, an original old-style Marsalis ballad that pays homage to his New Orleans roots.

This album shows that Marsalis' quartet hasn't skipped a beat with the change in the drummer's chair, effortlessly playing often complex original tunes that are thoroughly modern while referencing past jazz masters. 'Ö'Ö'Ö'Ö

-- Charles J. Gans, The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition August 18, 2012 G4

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