Branford Marsalis

In an unprecedented collaboration, the Branford Marsalis Quartet welcomes vocalist Kurt Elling, a rare addition to the rock-solid lineup of Joey Calderazzo, Eric Revis, and Justin Faulkner. Both parties are known for a wealth of jazz knowledge and stylistic versatility.

Elling has repeatedly proven his prowess for working with star instrumentalists and quartets, recently winning a Grammy Award for his tribute to the famed collaboration between saxophonist John Coltrane and vocalist Johnny Hartman. Marsalis, too, is a flexible and ambitious artist; Featuring fresh arrangements of Songbook staples, jazz standards, and standards-to-be from a diverse array of composers, this new artistic alliance promises to be an unforgettable showcase of both instrumental and vocal jazz expertise.

"The band talks about all kinds of things, many of which are unprintable," Marsalis admits. "But we have serious musical debates as well." One of these exchanges led to the new album Upward Spiral. "One topic we got into was picking the best singer to work with our band," Marsalis recalls. "My candidate was Kurt Elling, because he has the most flexible voice around, is always in tune and is a true jazz musician.”

Every track on Upward Spiral confirms the beyond-category strengths of both the Quartet and Elling. "No one in the band had to make adjustments, because good musicians can play many styles of music," Marsalis notes. "We're fully engaged with one another when we're playing, so it was easy to engage with Kurt. The only adjustment was not to play long solos, but if making the music sound good means playing less, you play less."

PERSONNEL:

BRANDFORD MARSALIS, saxes
JOEY CALDERAZZO, piano
ERIC REVIS, bass
JUSTIN FAULKNER, druns
KURT ELLING, vocals

New Orleans, ecember 16-19, 2015.

TRACKS:

01. There's a Boat Dat's Leavin' Soon for New York
02. Blue Gardenia
03. From One Island to Another
04. Practical Arrangement
05. Doxy
06. I'm a Fool to Want You
07. West Virginia Rose
08. Só Tinha de Ser Com Você
09. Momma Said
10. Cassandra Song
11. Blue Velvet
12. The Return (Upward Spiral)