Wynton MARSALIS - Think of One 1983

Wynton MARSALIS - Think of One 1983
Recorded at Mediasound, New York

Jazz

In his early years after leaving Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Wynton Marsalis strode forth with this excellent recording, his second as a leader, done in tandem with brother Branford, also out of Blakey's herd. The combination of the two siblings created quite a buzz in the music community, and this recording, which may stand the test of time as his finest, is one of the more solid mainstream jazz statements from the Young Lions movement of the early '80s. Top to bottom, this music sings, swings, simmers, and cooks with a cool verve that, in retrospect, would turn more overtly intellectual over time. A command of dynamics akin to those of Charles Mingus creates a signature sound, heard clearly in the opener, "Knozz-Moe-King," fueled by supercharged bop; the bold, extroverted, and precise trumpeting of the leader; and Kenny Kirkland's complementary piano comping. It could be the best single track of the entire recording career of Wynton. Ranking close behind is the tick-tock drumming of Jeff Watts, informing the pretty albeit dark musings of the brothers during "Fuchsia," and the sighing horns, samba bass of Phil Bowler, and stop-start modernities of an utterly original "The Bell Ringer." A bouncy treatment of the standard "My Ideal" shows Wynton's singing tone through his horn, a great interpretation of Thelonious Monk's "Think of One" is totally sly and slinky in low-register hues, and triplet phrases that have become a staple of the Marsalis musical identity accent "Later," adapted from a phrase similar to "Surrey with the Fringe on Top." At their unified best, Wynton and Branford shine on the tricky "What Is Happening Here (Now)?," a spillover residual of their time with Blakey. Think of One is a definitive statement for Wynton Marsalis, and though other efforts turned much more elaborate, none have been played better -- with more palpable spark and original ideas -- than this fine studio date.
bY Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide.
**
Back in 1983, this youthful fellow came along and turned the jazz world on its collective ear with his virtuosity on the trumpet, his flair for dynamic, thoughtful compositions and his rejection of any sort of "commercialization" of his music. No fusion with electronics, rock, funk or dance music for Marsalis--just straight ahead jazz, with the classic Miles Davis groups of the 1960-66 period serving as a template and a take-off point. Brother Branford plays with the right balance of sweetness and force, and the rhythm section is tense and explosive. The late Kenny Kirkland's piano is beautiful--his style drawing from both Bill Evans and McCoy Tyner. Mainstream jazz does not get much better than this.
From CD Universe.
**
Hard to believe now, but 20 years ago most commercially successful jazz could either be classified under trendy funk (anyone remember Herbie Hancock's "Rockit"?), electronic noodlings aimed toward a mass audience (Weather Report, Return to Forever) or MOR/adult contemporary piffle (Spyro Gyra). Coincidentally, it was at that point that I reached back toward the pioneers of the `50s and '60s, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and McCoy Tyner. Imagine my delight when a friend of mine told me of an artists who had the same influences and not only was he still recording, he was only in his early 20s!
Wynton Marsalis put himself on the map with this, his second album. From the atonal "Knozz-Moe-King" to the lament "Melancholia," Marsalis covers a wide range of styles, yet stays within himself. (Subsequent releases would frequently show even broader ambitions, but occasionally his reach would exceed his grasp.)
This album is the first one to pick up for those interested in hearing how jazz stepped back from the dead end of fusion back toward its roots.
By  Musings.
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Wynton Marsalis- (Trumpet);
Branford Marsalis- (Saxophones);
Kenny Kirkland- (Piano);
Ray Drummond- (Bass);
Jeff Watts- (Drums).
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01. Knozz-Moe-King 6:00
02. Fuchsia 6:25
03. My Ideal 6:17
04. What Is Happening Here (Now?) 4:02
05. Think Of One 5:29
06. The Bell Ringer 9:03
07. Later 4:08
08. Melancholia 2:49
**
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