Branford Marsalis: Metamorphosen

Brantford Marsalis (saxophones), Joey Calderazzo (piano), Eric Revis (bass), Jeff Tain Watts (drums)

So how much of a metamorphosis is Metamorphosen? It is a departure from his previous work, but not a dramatic one. On a few tracks such as “The Blossom of Parting” and “the Last Goodbye” Branford is more solemn. There is a clear classical music influence on these tracks and they are more piano heavy. The classical and jazz elements mesh well on these tracks, resulting in mournful jazz tracks, not obvious experiments. “And Then, He Was Gone” is Branford being a bit more experimental. It is a three minute bass solo. This somehow manages to avoid being boring or excessively showy. On other tracks, the music has not changed, but he seems more playful than ever. You can tell simply by track titles like “Return of the Jitney Man” and “Abe Vigoda”.

Price: $15.98