This album was much anticipated, for it would be
Branford Marsalis's first since the death of his longtime pianist
Kenny Kirkland. Happily, it is a knockout. While no one can entirely recreate the famed chemistry that existed between
Kirkland and
Marsalis, pianist
Joey Calderazzo does a marvelous job handling the extraordinary complexity, energy, and beauty of
Marsalis's music. Bassist
Eric Revis and drummer
Jeff "Tain" Watts, both of whom played on 1999's
Requiem (which wound up being the last recording of
Kirkland's life), carry on here in the spirit of their departed friend, fleshing out
Marsalis's increasingly challenging ensemble concepts and -- most importantly -- swinging like men possessed."In the Crease" and "Tain Mutiny," with their unpredictable twists and turns, are indicative of the gravitas of
Marsalis's work ever since he left his post at The Tonight Show. But the album's high point is a lengthy take of "Elysium," a tune that appeared on
Requiem as a trio piece, an aesthetic choice necessitated by the sudden death of
Kirkland who never had a chance to play on the track. Here the full quartet weighs in, deftly executing a dizzying series of tempo shifts and subtle cues, all seamlessly worked into a fabric of extended, burning improvisation. Finally, "Sleepy Hollow," a slow blues tucked away at the end of the program as a hidden track, sounds as though the band just let the tape roll as they warmed down from the session. It's a delightfully unrehearsed moment, perhaps a closing homage to
Kirkland, drawn from deep down in the tradition.