The big bluster comes back with the unleashing of Watts’ “Blakzilla”, inspired by Akira Ifukube’s score to Godzilla (1953). The drums and cymbals clatter like tumultuous waters. Marsalis is back on the tenor and continues his Coltrane motif. It’s a large, lumbering number. The bass is brought to the forefront as the band roars through, unstoppable. At the halfway point, Calderazzo takes over for Marsalis. The drums increase in volume due to being hit harder, later followed by all three instruments played with short, purposeful strokes. The song closes with great interplay between Watts and Revis, before the quartet returns to the theme.
The album’s pattern is repeated and “Blakzilla” is followed by two quieter, more melodic numbers. “O Solitude” is by 17th century English composer Henry Purcell. Revis repeats a creeping bass line that the tenor sax and piano play around. “Sir Roderick, the Aloof” was originally created as a duet for the soprano sax/piano duet although you wouldn’t know it. Less than a minute in, the bass and drums take over, holding court before the piano returns a minute later. The sax disappears for half the song.
The final track is “Black Elk Speaks”, Revis’ tribute to the famous medicine man from the Oglala Lakota tribe. It continues and concludes the pattern. The band, especially Marsalis, chases the chaos, and the number segues into the avant garde of Ornette Coleman when Revis, who does some mean work with his bow, repeatedly shouts “a beautiful day to die.”
Braggtown is very good album for those with a serious interest in jazz. The quartet sounds great and it’s obvious these men are at the top of their game individually and as a group. It’s music that engages the listener through bombast as much as it does through subtlety. Marsalis describes it best, so I’ll defer to him. “This album is for people who truly like music, rather than simply liking to be entertained by music.”
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
nice review bicho. i've always like Branford, especially when he goes out on those extended tunes (my favorite being The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born and the live Bloomington)
plus, it's tough to go wrong when jeff watts is smackin' the bejeezuz out of the drums.
2 - El Bicho
Thanks, Mark. I'm glad to see that my music reviews get read. I keep getting referred to as just a film guy.
I just discovered that Branford played some dates with The Grateful Dead in the early '90s, so I'm really curious to find them. I'll have to check with Brewster about it.
3 - nan gagnon
hey thanks for turning me on to royal jones and susaye greene and janice friedman and martha reeves so many new wonderful CDs .can't stop playing these and tappin my feet.