Branford Marsalis Quartet
Metamorphosen
Marsalis Music
By George W. Harris

First of all, you’ve got to commend the members of Branford Marsalis’ band (Jeff “Tain” Watts/dr, Eric Revis/b, Joey Calderazzo/p) for having the vision and tenacity for keeping the band together for a decade. This disc shows, if nothing else, that they are a real working unit, able to accomplish musical feats that are only obtainable by that intangible thing called “comraderie.” Tunes like “Return of the Jitney Man” and “Jabberw ocky” have turns and stops that would cause a 10 car pileup in lesser hands.

And while the muscular and macho pieces like the aforementioned, as well as the sole cover (“Rhythm-a-Ning”) and the Monkish “Sphere” display the testosterone of the group, it is actually the more sublime tunes that feature Branford on soprano that win the day. “The Blossom of Parting” and “The Last Goodbye” feature lithe sax lines with pastoral support, while “Samo” slowly undulates and climaxes with Calderazzo’s piano upping the temperature chorus by chorus. Not as unitedly strong as the classic “Eternal” but the highs are as high, with the band working as a strand of 4 chords.