Judging by past entries on this blog, one might assume that I’m no fan of Wynton Marsalis. Au contraire! I’ll be the first to rant against one of his many tenants with which I disagree, and his “fetishization of jazz icons”* coupled with a narrow view and ear of what constitutes jazz is bothersome, to say the least. (And Stanley Crouch’s fetishization of Wynton doesn’t help…) But the man can play a trumpet. And swing. And when he’s on, any words he speaks are a moot point.
Yes, it’s easy to just write Wynton off as a bebop crusader with a Keith Jarrett-esque disdain for electric instruments. But, horn aside, he’s done a tremendous amount of good when it comes to jazz education and simply an awareness of jazz in the public consciousness. What type of jazz he’s brought to the forefront is a separate debate; I’m simply thankful for his efforts on the whole. Between he and Dave Liebman – both 2011 NEA Jazz Masters, representing two ends of the aesthetic spectrum – jazz education has reached new heights from beginner through collegiate and professional levels.
[You can think of this Wynton debate as similar to the Partch and ICTUS conundrum, discussed here and here.]
Anyway, as I said, it’s easy – and cool in many circles – to just poo poo on Wynton. But I’m longtime fan – since high school. I have over twenty of his albums and have seen him in concert at least eight times. (And this early feature with Herbie Hancock is an interesting album – the great Hancock/Carter/Williams rhythm section with a young Wynton who sounds little like the current one…) Some of his compositions are top notch (“Sunflowers,” Big Train, Congo Square), others not (All Rise is ambitious…), and his arranging for quintet and septet is often pretty interesting (check out the full box set for Live At The Village Vanguard – “In The Sweet Embrace of Life” is the crown jewel). And for all his talk of tradition and Louis Armstrong, he’s not scared of charting new territory. For example, “Down Home With Homey” is a blues based on a twelve-tone row, and “Magic Hour” employs elements of chance.
But all that ambition and complexity often gets in the way of Wynton the improviser and whatever band he’s playing with at the time. (He always surrounds himself with solid players.) Which is why I decided to post the following two videos. Of all my Wynton albums, one of my absolute favorites is the largely unnoticed Live At The House of Tribes. While the quintet only plays standards (not too surprising), they aren’t reading the complicated Marsalis arrangements. For anyone who’s seen the quintet or septet live, they often have multiple large binders full of his arrangements. Not here – just plowing through the head and blowing changes. At the time of this album’s release (2005), this is something Wynton had seemingly gotten far away from. Add to that saxophonist Wessell “Warmdaddy” Anderson and the unparalleled Eric Lewis (“The Top Professor”) on keys and you’ve got a recipe for success. (Lewis handily stole the show the few times I saw him with Wynton. And as Wynton liked to say, Lewis is bringing the left hand back…)
I mention House of Tribes because I recently stumbled upon video footage of the album’s first track: Thelonious Monk’s “Green Chimneys.” I recommend this album to anyone who remains understandably suspicious of Wynton for the reasons listed above. It’s laid back, and even though there’s more audience noise than normal (I think the decision to record and/or release was spur of the moment), it’s a great peek into a side of Wynton & Co. we don’t often get to see.
“Green Chimneys” – Part 1
“Green Chimneys” – Part 2
*I wish I could take credit for such an apt phrase, but I once read it years ago and it has since stuck with me. I can’t remember where. If anyone happens to know the source, please get in touch.
