FROM THE PLANTATION TO THE PENITENTIARY - WYNTON MARSALIS
Immensely more satisfying than Wynton Marsalis’ 1995 Pulitzer Prize-winning epic “Blood on the Fields,” his latest long-form work triumphs as a masterful sociopolitical critique of American culture. The jazz statesman enlists his quintet and vocalist Jennifer Sanon, who shines. Her deliberately off-key vocalizing to match the chordal dissonance Marsalis employs in the title track accentuates his discontent with our cultural descent. Stylistically, he takes the all-encompassing route on his suite-like tunes, maintaining the swing essence augmented by world rhythms, as well as modern beats like the cha-cha and Motown. Marsalis’ trumpet voicings are showcased throughout, including a soulful muse on “Love and Broken Heart,” a ballad pining for the return of slow-dance romance, and frenzied bleats to accentuate the craze of materialism on “Supercapitalism.” He even preaches on the spirited finale, “Where Y’All At,” questioning authority and commitment. (Blue Note Records) Billboard
