While the recording studio offers an ideal, controlled
environment for audio fidelity and perfectionist tinkering, the bandstand is
where any musician's mettle is tested - live, in the moment, under the
scrutinizing gaze of a rapt audience. On Kalamazoo, trombonist/composer
Delfeayo Marsalis (pronounced Del-fee-oh) places his gift for entertaining a
crowd under the spotlight, vividly capturing not only the buoyant, lively
chemistry that he shares with a stellar quartet, but also his engaging rapport
with an audience, and his playful sense of humor.
Kalamazoo, out now via Marsalis' own Troubadour Jass
Records, documents a single performance, recorded in the midst of a seven-day
tour supporting Marsalis' The Last Southern Gentlemen CD. As on that album, the
trombonist is joined by his legendary father, pianist Ellis Marsalis, along
with a newly assembled rhythm section consisting of bassist Reginald Veal and
the mighty Ralph Peterson on drums. The recording is in one sense a snapshot of
a single, once-in-a- lifetime evening, the first night this particular quartet
had ever shared the stage and full of spontaneous, unrehearsed moments that
will never be repeated. At the same time it's a representative portrait of a
typical Delfeayo Marsalis performance, each one unique but ensuring the same
timeless, swinging thrills.
"Live recordings are important because they truly
capture the essence of who you are as a person and how you play as a
musician," Marsalis says. "Different artists create their definitive
live recordings at different points in their career. For example, my brother
Branford was 31 when he recorded Bloomington. Wynton was 42 when he was finally
captured on Live at the House of Tribes. This is my equivalent to those
recordings; it gives the listener a true understanding of who I am, how my
shows are structured."
While a single night with a single band can't hope to
represent the full range of Marsalis' musical vision - his last release was the
big-band protest date Make America Great Again! and his more modern
compositional side is showcased on albums like Pontius Pilate's Decision -
Kalamazoo instead reveals the many sides of the trombonist's personality over
the course of the evening. From elegant balladry to down and dirty blues, the
celebratory gusto of his native New Orleans to the sophisticated swing of an
Ellington classic, fiery passion to educational torch-passing, Marsalis'
exhaustive knowledge of the jazz tradition and commitment to its future are
evident throughout.
"In the jazz world these days, there's a lot of
attention being paid to more introverted ways of playing," Marsalis
explains. "We need more leaders like Count Basie or Louis Armstrong. Not
that we have to imitate those older styles, but we have to provide the
foundations of entertainment and swing in jazz performance. That, to me, is the
importance of this album: it's inside, it's in the pocket, it's soulful, and
you can feel the audience engagement. Yes, I think we have an obligation to
represent the entire history of American music whenever possible because, one,
we've studied it and two, it allows the younger musicians the opportunity to
play more avant-garde. Someone has to hold down the fort!"
That's especially true on the concert's most surprising
number, the theme from Sesame Street, which Marsalis reveals to be a blues before
a ripple of astonished recognition spreads audibly through the crowd. He also
skillfully draws them in with one of his specialties, a composition created on
the spot - this time with the added wrinkle of a pair of Western Michigan
University students brave enough to join the band. Singer Christian O'Neill
Diaz and drummer Madison George acquit themselves admirably through the trial
by fire that became "Blue Kalamazoo."
"Part of maturing is being able to not only assist, but
to also challenge the younger generation," Marsalis says. "If we had
performed a song that Christian sings all the time, he would have probably sung
in auto- pilot mode. Creating a song together spontaneously forces you to reach
deep inside and stay committed to the moment. It's an African tradition. After
an hour of music, the audience had developed a rapport with the quartet, so
when the students joined in everyone was basically thinking, 'All right, let's
see what y'all got.' Because they were definitely underdogs in the situation,
everyone was cheering for them to succeed. It was a beautiful moment in time
and a great representation of the democratic process."
Democracy is also in action on the bandstand, as when the
trombonist pauses to ask the senior Marsalis whether he wants to play the
standard "If I Were a Bell" or "Emily" for a trio outing;
the choice of "Bell" takes the program in a more upbeat direction.
Playing with his formidable father, Delfeayo says, offers both an inspiring
pressure and an ideal foil. "We make the perfect duo. My dad is pretty
stoic and I tend to approach the music more from the standpoint of
entertainment. I guess you could say we both keep each other honest! That's the
great part of playing with older and younger musicians: the exchange of ideas
and energy based on varying levels of experience."
The bulk of the evening consists of well-known standards
called off the cuff, including such favorites as "My Funny
Valentine," "Autumn Leaves," and "It Don't Mean a
Thing." Marsalis' sultry, swaying "The Secret Love Affair" is
reprised from The Last Southern Gentlemen, while the show closes, appropriately
enough, with "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans," an ode
to the city with which the Marsalis clan is synonymous. In the end, the chosen
material is perfectly suited, as it sets the stage for such a high-caliber band
to stretch out and invent together.
"Sharing the bandstand with musicians at the top level
allows you to express your musical ideas freely," Marsalis concludes.
"You've got to be at the top of your game 100% of the time. All of our
life experiences prepare us for today and now, and a great occasion was well-documented
in Kalamazoo."
Internationally acclaimed trombonist, producer and educator
Delfeayo Marsalis was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2011. In his native New
Orleans, he founded the Uptown Music Theatre to provide professional dramatic
arts training and encourage community unity in young people. Marsalis has
produced over 120 jazz CDs and released seven albums as a leader - including
the politically charged Make America Great Again! with his 15-piece Uptown Jazz
Orchestra. He has composed 18 children's musicals and is the author of the
award-winning children's book No Cell Phone Day.
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