MARCUS - MARCUS MILLER
Most largely instrumental jazz albums lose their appeal after the 50-minute mark. Notwithstanding its four R&B-style vocal tracks (including a winning rendition of Deniece Williams’ “Free” by Corinne Bailey Rae), Marcus Miller’s zesty CD has adrenaline to spare at the close of its 70-plus-minute funk-jazz marathon, when he speeds across the finish line with a B3-fueled take on Tower of Power’s “What Is Hip?” “Marcus” is the eighth solo outing by Miles Davis’ final musical collaborator, and Miller’s high-in-the-mix bass forms the core. One of the highlights is the soulfully lyrical saunter through Davis’ “Jean Pierre,” co-starring Gregoire Maret on harmonica.
