Music

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Small but Sweet

Trombonist trades large ensemble for sextet on tour

By: Chris Smith

Posted: 05/22/2012 1:00 AM | Comments: 0

Expect some Sweet Thunder and fireworks when Delfeayo Marsalis fronts his sextet as the concert series opener of this summer's jazz festival.

The New Orleans trombonist, producer and band leader (and third of the four musician brothers in the Marsalis family) is excited to be going on tour with a smaller band playing music from his 2010 CD Sweet Thunder, a reworking of Duke Ellington's Such Sweet Thunder suite based on Shakespearean characters and themes.

His June 18 performance at the TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival will be the first with the smaller band; the debut Sweet Thunder performance was commissioned by the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and the CD featured a large ensemble.

But Marsalis doesn't like to just repeat the music, "to do repertory."

"This is the better way. Scaling it down to a smaller ensemble gives you some latitude" to play the music differently, to improvise. Some tunes from Sweet can't be performed by the smaller group with only three horns: trombone and two saxophones (Victor Goines and Mark Gross). "You wouldn't get the same essence," he explains.

Marsalis says the concert also will include music from earlier recordings Minions Dominion and Pontius Pilate's Decision, his first recording as a leader.

The composer likes to take on big themes. As well as Sweet Thunder, Pontius Pilate's Decision covers "biblical themes that are important to me, so I said, 'Let's tackle that.'"

Although his sextet can't play all the music from an orchestral work, "I really hear the smaller group like a jazz orchestra," Marsalis said during a telephone interview from his New Orleans home.

And the trombonist is looking forward to the tour because it will be the first time he's been on the road with saxophonist Goines, a Big Easy jazz stalwart.

"He played his first gig with me in New Orleans 15 years ago," Marsalis says, and they have performed and recorded many times over the years, but this will be their first tour.

Marsalis, who studied studio production as well as trombone at Boston's Berklee College of Music, says he hasn't produced as much over the last four or five years. "I've spent that time playing regular shows in New Orleans. But playing in different ensembles aids production work," he says.

"The world is now more intrigued by entertainment value than artistic value," he says. "Miles and Trane could find work playing music that was difficult for the listener." When Branford, his saxophonist brother, and Wynton, his trumpet-playing brother, "hit the scene, you had to be in an adventurous mood. Now, performers have to be more engaged in entertainment value."

Nonetheless, "music keeps coming and guys keep swinging." Marsalis says.

He predicts this could be the year of the trombone. Trombone Shorty, the popular jazz-funk musician from New Orleans, is touring and recording to critical acclaim (he performs here June 21 with his band Orleans Avenue) and Wycliffe Gordon, who got his break playing with Wynton Marsalis, is releasing a new CD.

Marsalis also predicts "there'll be some fireworks" at his sextet's Winnipeg show.

The Delfeayo Marsalis Sextet opens the festival's theatre series shows June 18, 8 p.m., at West End Cultural Centre; tickets $38.

The TD Winnipeg International Jazz Festival runs June 14-23 at various venues. The free opening weekend presents shows at Old Market Square June 14-17 and concerts and club shows run June 18-23.

Tickets are at jazzwinnipeg.com, at the Jazz Winnipeg office or by phone at 989-4656. Tickets for Burton Cummings Theatre shows are also available at Ticketmaster.

chris.smith@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 22, 2012 D3

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Music

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.