Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord

Artist: Wynton Marsalis

Number of Discs: 1

Label: Columbia
Availability: In stock
Item #: 5166636

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Review

In this tribute to Jelly Roll Morton, at last there is a large sampling of the Wynton Marsalis who can get large crowds at outdoor jazz festivals like the Playboy at Hollywood Bowl to dance and wave white handkerchiefs. This is mostly gutbucket, stomping, swinging New Orleans jazz through the eyes and ears of avid students of old records -- and they have absorbed a good deal of the original raffish, joyous feeling. Dedicated scholars as they are, the band even recreates the original zany dialogue that opens Morton's recordings of "Dead Man Blues" and "Sidewalk Blues" (with a small alteration in the latter for PC purposes), leading to swaggering performances of both. Marsalis by now is an absolute virtuoso of the plunger mute, and he gets ample room to growl and snarl, often alongside trombonist/co-arranger Wycliffe Gordon. Without the mute, he is often majestically commanding, totally in his element. As befitting the contrapuntal New Orleans ethos, Wynton is also generous with the spotlight, turning over an entire track to Danilo Perez's lurching solo piano rendition of "Mamanita," another to the thick-toned period clarinet of performing musicologist Michael White on "Big Lip Blues," and another, alas, to Harry Connick, Jr.'s ham-handed solo treatment of "Billy Goat Stomp." The most startling performance -- authenticity taken to its extreme -- comes at the end as Wynton and pianist Eric Reed wander into Thomas Edison Laboratories (circa 1993) to record a cylinder of "Tom Cat Blues" with vintage acoustical equipment. The results are often hilarious, and certainly instructive (try this out as a blindfold test on friends who think that they don't make jazz records like they used to). ~ Richard S. Ginell, All Music Guide

Read About This Recording

On this special project from 1999, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, members of his group and a few guests perform modern interpretations of 15 of Jelly Roll Morton's compositions. Morton, one of jazz's earliest significant composer-arrangers (in addition to being a distinctive pianist) wrote and arranged many classic works that were recorded in the 1920s.

Marsalis and his musicians largely stick to Morton's original recorded arrangements but solo in their own styles which are sometimes fairly modern. Among the key players are pianist Eric Lewis, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and Victor Goines on reeds, with one appearance apiece by Danilo Perez and Harry Connick, Jr. Among the selections updated are such gems as Red Hot Pepper Stomp, King Porter Stomp, The Pearls, Sidewalk Blues and Billy Goat Stomp. In addition, the closing number, a duet version of Tom Cat Blues featuring Marsalis and pianist Eric Reed, is quite unusual because it was recorded as an acoustic cylinder and the results sound quite ancient, like an early 1920s recording.

Intriguing and easily enjoyable music, Marsalis revives some of the earliest and best New Orleans jazz that was ever recorded.

—Scott Yanow

Quotes

"Wynton Marsalis is, in every way of considering the title, the Compleat Musician. Whether caught in a jazz club or concert hall or on Sesame Street, there is no musician out there whose merest flourish of sound speaks more eloquently or purposefully or deeply." —The New York Times

Tom Cat Blues; Red Hot Pepper; New Orleans Bump; King Porter Stomp; The Pearls; Deep Creek; Mamanita; Sidewalk Blues; Jungle Blues; Bip Lip Blues; Dead Man Blues; Smokehouse Blues; Billy Goat Stomp; Courthouse Bump; Black Bottom Stomp.

Wynton Marsalis, Trumpet; Eric Lewis, Danilo Perez, Harry Connick, Jr., Eric Reed, Pianos; Herlin Riley, Drums; Reginald Veal, Bass; Lucien Barbarin, Trombone; Wessell Anderson, Alto Sax; Victor Goines, Clarinet, Tenor & Soprano Saxes; Michael White, Clarinet; Donald Vappie, Banjo, Guitar; Wycliffe Gordon, Tuba, Trumpet, Trombone.

Tracks + Soundclips

Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord
1. Red Hot Pepper	3:41
2. New Orleans Bump	4:32
3. King Porter Stomp	3:10
4. Pearls	3:51
5. Deep Creek	5:14
6. Mamanita	2:48
7. Sidewalk Blues	5:12
8. Jungle Blues	6:50
9. Big Lip Blues	3:17
10. Dead Man Blues	4:40
11. Smoke-House Blues	4:51
12. Billy Goat Stomp	2:58
13. Courthouse Bump	3:28
14. Black Bottom Stomp	4:20
15. Tom Cat Blues	2:09

Details and Credits

Product Details

Label: Columbia
Release date: 1999/09/07
Instrumental

Styles

New Orleans Jazz
Neo-Bop
Swing

Browse all jazz styles

Album Credits
Performance Credits
Danilo Perez	Piano
Don Vappie	Banjo
Dr. Michael White	Clarinet
Eric Lewis	Piano
Eric Reed	Piano
Harry Connick, Jr.	Piano
Herlin Riley	Drums
Lucien Barbarin	Trombone
Reginald Veal	Bass
Victor Goines	Clarinet
Wessell Anderson	Sax (Alto)
Wycliffe Gordon	Trombone
Wynton Marsalis	Trumpet