Branford Marsalis – Footsteps of Our Fathers
Marsalis Music 0011661330122
Branford Marsalis, saxophones; Joey Calderazzo, piano; Eric Revis, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums.
Recorded December 1-3, 2001.
The opening bars of the first track on this album are entirely reminiscent of Charlie Parker, but to follow that notion through this review would be entirely misleading. The sleeve notes dedicate the album to John Lewis, Milt Jackson, Steve Salem and Delfeayo Ferdinand, but the four tracks are clearly devoted to the ‘Fathers’ of the title: they are Giggin’ by Ornette Coleman, The Freedom Suite by Sonny Rollins, A Love Supreme by John Coltrane and Concorde by John Lewis.
Following the opening bars of Giggin’, the saxophonist trails away into a style more akin to a New Orleans’ clarinet than anything Ornette did and I don’t think that this was a deliberate reference to another kind of ‘Father’ suggested by the title. It might though be a reflection on the often repeated view that Branford and Wynton Marsalis have, in common, similar approaches to jazz. Following this strangely unexpected start, the whole group really does take off through the rest of the piece and the remainder of the album, with terrific driving and control from ‘Tain’ Watts, powerful bass lines and stridently authoritative piano from pal Joey.
There are similarities betweenThe Freedom Suite and A Love Supreme, in that Branford sounds just like Sonny or John at moments during these performances, but never sounds as though he is quoting from them or copying them. What he is doing, I think, is that he is remodelling their writing to suit what his emotional response to the music might be and in this he succeeds, offering a different view of what a particular piece of music might hold for any one of us.
Concorde starts out so quietly as to be almost a let-down after the vigour of the previous two pieces, but it soon establishes a canter that is more of a cool-down than a chill-out. It successfully illustrates the at-the-time, particularly appealing and finer points of the MJQ’s use of Baroque counterpoint and rounds off the album very nicely, making it a whole.
This album succeeds because each individual contributes his very best, mindful not only of the ‘Fathers’ to whom it is dedicated, but also of those who came before them as masters of the very instruments they are now playing. They will become ‘Fathers’ in their turn and with Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis, and Jeff "Tain" Watts, Branford has assembled one of the most talented jazz collectives around.
Reviewed by
ken cheetham
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