Royal Garden Blues (album)

Last updated
Royal Garden Blues
Royal Garden Blues (album).jpg
Studio album by
Branford Marsalis
Released1986
StudioRCA Studio A (New York City, New York)
Genre Jazz
Label Columbia [1]
Producer Delfeayo Marsalis
Branford Marsalis chronology
Romances for Saxophone
(1986)		Royal Garden Blues
(1986)		 Renaissance
(1987)

Royal Garden Blues is an album by the American saxophonist Branford Marsalis, released in 1986. [2] [3] Marsalis promoted it with a North American tour. [4]

Contents

The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist". [5] It peaked at No. 2 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart. [6]

Production

Royal Garden Blues was produced by Delfeayo Marsalis. [7] Ron Carter and Herbie Hancock contributed to the album. [8]

The title track is a cover of the jazz standard. [9] Its video was directed by Spike Lee. [10] "Strike Up the Band" is a version of the song composed by George Gershwin. [11] "Emanon" was written by Wynton Marsalis. [12] "Shadows was written by Larry Willis. [13] Ellis Marsalis Jr. played piano on "Swingin' at the Haven", which he also wrote. [14] "The Wrath of Tain", a tribute to drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts, was written by Branford. [15]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [16]
Robert Christgau B+ [17]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [18]
Los Angeles Times Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [12]
MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [19]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [20]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [21]
Windsor Star A [13]

Robert Christgau labeled Marsalis the "more fun" member of the family, but determined that "his artistic personality is still unformed." [17] The Los Angeles Times noted that "despite having been bitten by the rhythm-and-blues bug and stung by Sting, the saxophonist-leader leaves no doubt that jazz is his home turf." [12] The Sun-Sentinel stated that the music "is played very conservatively, without any hint of modern musical forms, instrumentation or rhythms." [22]

The Chicago Tribune concluded: "Formerly inclined to summon up as much heat as possible, Marsalis seems to have realized that he is not a passionate, ecstatic player but a coolheaded, technically agile craftsman." [23] The New York Times wrote that the album is "steeped in the songful, harmonically complex style of the mid-1960's Miles Davis quintet and of the Blue Note Records stable." [24] The Sunday Times considered the title track "a serious, unflinching improvisation." [25]

AllMusic deemed Royal Garden Blues "one of Branford's more playful albums." [16]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Swingin' at the Haven" Ellis Marsalis Jr. 6:11
2."Dienda" Kenny Kirkland 7:13
3."Strike Up the Band" George Gershwin 4:19
4."Emanon" Wynton Marsalis 7:23
5."Royal Garden Blues" Clarence Williams, Spencer Williams 7:04
6."Shadows" Larry Willis 9:29
7."The Wrath of Tain"Branford Marsalis8:57

Personnel

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Kirkland</span> American pianist and keyboardist (1955–1998)

Kenneth David Kirkland was an American pianist and keyboardist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellis Marsalis Jr.</span> American jazz pianist and educator (1934–2020)

Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. was an American jazz pianist and educator. Active since the late 1940s, Marsalis came to greater attention in the 1980s and 1990s as the patriarch of the musical Marsalis family, when sons Branford and Wynton became popular jazz musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charnett Moffett</span> American jazz bassist (1967–2022)

Charnett Moffett was an American jazz bassist. A consummate and versatile bassist, and composer, he was an apparent child prodigy. Moffett began playing bass in the family band, touring the Far East in 1975 at the age of eight. In the mid-1980s, he played with Wynton Marsalis and Branford Marsalis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delfeayo Marsalis</span> American trombonist

Delfeayo Marsalis is an American jazz trombonist, record producer and educator.

<i>Quartet</i> (Herbie Hancock album) 1982 studio album by Herbie Hancock

Quartet is the twenty-seventh album by jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, featuring a quartet with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams. It was originally issued in Japan on CBS/Sony, and later given a US release by Columbia.

<i>Two Blocks from the Edge</i> 1998 studio album by Michael Brecker

Two Blocks from the Edge is Michael Brecker's fifth album as a leader. It was recorded in 1997 at Avatar Studios in New York City, and released in 1998. It features pianist Joey Calderazzo and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, noted for their work with Branford Marsalis.

<i>Eternal</i> (Branford Marsalis album) 2004 studio album by Branford Marsalis

Eternal is an album by saxophonist Branford Marsalis recorded at Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, New York in October 2003. It peaked at number 9 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Round Midnight</i> (soundtrack) 1986 soundtrack album by Herbie Hancock

Round Midnight is a soundtrack album by Herbie Hancock featuring music recorded for Bertrand Tavernier's film Round Midnight released in 1986 on Columbia Records. The album features performances by Hancock, trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, bassist Ron Carter, drummer Tony Williams, vocalist Bobby McFerrin, tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, bassist Pierre Michelot, drummer Billy Higgins, guitarist John McLaughlin, trumpeter/vocalist Chet Baker, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, vocalist Lonette McKee, and pianist Cedar Walton, most of whom appear in the film. It won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score in 1986, beating Ennio Morricone's The Mission and Jerry Goldsmith's Hoosiers, among others. Additional music recorded during the making of the film was released under Dexter Gordon's name as The Other Side of Round Midnight (1986).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Branford Marsalis</span> American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader

Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque. From 1992 to 1995 he led the Tonight Show Band.

<i>Wynton Marsalis</i> (album) 1982 studio album by Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis is the debut album by the jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. It was released in 1982 by Columbia. It contains seven tracks, three composed by Marsalis. The album peaked at number 165 on the Billboard 200 and number nine on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Live at Blues Alley</i> (Wynton Marsalis album) 1988 live album by Wynton Marsalis

Live at Blues Alley is a double live album by the Wynton Marsalis Quartet, recorded at Blues Alley in December 1986 and released through Columbia Records in 1987. The quartet included trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, bassist Robert Hurst, pianist Marcus Roberts and drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts. The album was produced by Steven Epstein; George Butler served as executive producer.

<i>Joe Cools Blues</i> 1995 studio album by Wynton Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis

Joe Cool's Blues is an album by jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis and his father Ellis Marsalis that was released in 1995. The album reached a peak position of No. 3 on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Random Abstract</i> 1988 studio album by Branford Marsalis

Random Abstract is a jazz album by saxophonist Branford Marsalis recorded August 12–13, 1987 at Sound City Studios in Tokyo, Japan. It peaked at number 6 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1988, Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist and Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Group.

<i>Crazy People Music</i> 1990 studio album by Branford Marsalis

Crazy People Music is a jazz album featuring the Branford Marsalis Quartet, led by saxophonist Branford Marsalis and featuring Kenny Kirkland, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Robert Hurst. It was recorded January 10, February 18, and March 1, 1990 at RCA Studios in New York, New York. It peaked at number 3 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist.

<i>I Heard You Twice the First Time</i> 1992 studio album by Branford Marsalis

I Heard You Twice the First Time is a jazz album by Branford Marsalis that explores different aspects of the blues, featuring guest appearances from B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Russell Malone, Wynton Marsalis and Linda Hopkins. It peaked at number 1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group.

<i>Bloomington</i> (album) 1993 live album by Branford Marsalis

Bloomington is a 1993 live jazz album by saxophonist Branford Marsalis, featuring Jeff "Tain" Watts on drums and Robert Hurst on bass. It was recorded at a concert in Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana on September 23, 1991, while the trio was on tour. The concert occurred one month before the release of Marsalis's album The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born, featuring the same lineup, and three of Bloomington's six tracks are taken from that album. Bloomington peaked at number 9 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Requiem</i> (Branford Marsalis album) 1999 studio album by Branford Marsalis Quartet

Requiem is a jazz album by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, featuring Branford Marsalis, Eric Revis, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Kenny Kirkland. The recording, Kirkland's last before his death in November 1998, was dedicated to his memory. Recorded August 17–20 and December 9–10, 1998 in the Tarrytown Music Hall in Tarrytown, New York, the album reached Number 8 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.

<i>Romare Bearden Revealed</i> 2003 studio album by Branford Marsalis Quartet

Romare Bearden Revealed is a jazz album by the Branford Marsalis Quartet, featuring Branford Marsalis, Eric Revis, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Joey Calderazzo, with guest appearances by Harry Connick Jr., Wynton Marsalis, Doug Wamble, Reginald Veal, and other members of the Marsalis family. The album, which was recorded June 23–25, 2003 at Clinton Studios in New York, New York, was recorded in celebration of a retrospective exhibit of the art of Romare Bearden which opened at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC and subsequently traveled to San Francisco, Dallas, New York and Atlanta in 2004 and 2005. The album recorded jazz tunes whose names Bearden had used for paintings as well as original compositions.

<i>Mo Better Blues</i> (soundtrack) 1990 soundtrack album

Music From "Mo' Better Blues" is a collaborative album by Branford Marsalis Quartet and Terence Blanchard. It was released in 1990 through Columbia/CBS Records as a soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1990 film Mo' Better Blues. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studios and Sound On Sound in New York. Production was handled by Bill Lee, Delfeayo Marsalis, Raymond Jones and DJ Premier, with Spike Lee serving as executive producer. It features contributions from film stars Cynda Williams, Denzel Washington and Wesley Snipes, and American hip hop duo Gang Starr.

<i>Renaissance</i> (Branford Marsalis album) 1987 studio album by Branford Marsalis

Renaissance is an album by the American musician Branford Marsalis, released in 1987. It peaked at No. 4 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Albums chart. Marsalis supported the album with a North American tour.

References

  1. ↑ Lichtenstein, Grace; Dankner, Laura (September 9, 1993). Musical Gumbo: The Music of New Orleans. W.W. Norton.
  2. ↑ "Branford Marsalis Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
  3. ↑ Riley, Norman (Nov 1986). "The Young Lions". The Crisis. Vol. 93, no. 9. p. 9.
  4. ↑ MacInnis, Craig (6 Feb 1987). "Bored-again Branford back to jazz". Toronto Star. p. D19.
  5. ↑ "Branford Marsalis". Recording Academy. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  6. ↑ "Branford Marsalis". Billboard.
  7. ↑ Santosuosso, Ernie (5 Dec 1986). "Another Tenor Saxophonist to Star in Film". Arts and Film. The Boston Globe. p. 46.
  8. ↑ McKenzie, Madora (5 Nov 1986). "Soundtakes". Arts. The Christian Science Monitor.
  9. ↑ Gioia, Ted (September 9, 2012). The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire. Oxford University Press.
  10. ↑ Magro, Anthony (September 9, 2002). Contemporary Cat: Terence Blanchard with Special Guests. Scarecrow Press.
  11. ↑ Miller, Mark (6 Nov 1986). "Royal Garden Blues Branford Marsalis". The Globe and Mail. p. D3.
  12. 1 2 3 Feather, Leonard (9 Nov 1986). "Jazz Album Briefs". Calendar. Los Angeles Times. p. 55.
  13. 1 2 Stevens, Peter (24 Jan 1987). "Jazz". Windsor Star. p. C2.
  14. ↑ Moody, Lois (24 Apr 1987). "Branford Marsalis Royal Garden Blues". Ottawa Citizen. p. F5.
  15. ↑ Tranfa, Anthony D. (November 7, 1986). "'Royal Garden Blues', Branford Marsalis". Daily Breeze. p. E10.
  16. 1 2 "Branford Marsalis Royal Garden Blues". AllMusic.
  17. 1 2 "Branford Marsalis". Robert Christgau.
  18. ↑ Larkin, Colin (2006). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. 5. MUZE. p. 517.
  19. ↑ MusicHound Jazz: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1998. p. 745.
  20. ↑ The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (8th ed.). Penguin Books Ltd. 2006. p. 851.
  21. ↑ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 450.
  22. ↑ Wissink, Stephen (8 Feb 1987). "Older Marsalis Falls Short". Sun-Sentinel. p. 3G.
  23. ↑ Kart, Larry (14 Dec 1986). "Royal Garden Blues". Arts. Chicago Tribune. p. 24.
  24. ↑ Pareles, Jon (17 Dec 1986). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C29.
  25. ↑ Cook, Richard (November 9, 1986). "Swaggering saxophonist". Arts. The Sunday Times.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.