Style Weekly
Sadly, the original lineup made just this one album before Jason Marsalis struck out on his own, but what a debut. New-Orleans-pedigreed youngsters Marsalis and Irvin Mayfield are joined by longtime jazz journeyman Bill Summers and piano man Victor "Red" Atkins. Sweaty, tight Latin jazz. This is what makes the jumping beans jump. "El Barrio" features vocals by Cyril Neville. The name-dropping alone should keep jazzies at bay. Mayfield and Summers forged ahead with this project after Jason's departure and were up for a Grammy this year. This is where it all began and it's a slick, cool ride.Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster "encounters" (Verve)
Two true heavies on tenor sax kicking things around. This is full of romance. One of Verve's Master Edition releases, it offers superb music, beautiful packaging, great liner notes and previously unreleased studio takes of false starts and alternate versions. Jazzies love this type of stuff, and I have to admit I do too. Oscar Peterson's piano playing almost steals the show, but you never forget who is in charge. Pure swagger by two men who knew they were the bosses.Next time: Sunday Morning Coming Down. Send your hangover- helper album suggestions to slippeddiscs@styleweekly.com.
Other Publications
