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Branford Marsalis Quartet Performs A Love Supreme
BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET PERFORMS JOHN COLTRANE
MASTERPIECE ON A LOVE SUPREME LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
New Marsalis Music DVD, including full performance plus bonus
interviews and audio-only disc, to be released on November 9.
For Marsalis Musicıs second DVD release, label founder Branford Marsalis and his quartet have been captured in a complete performance of John Coltraneıs 1964 masterpiece A Love Supreme. This legendary suite, which tenor saxophonist Marsalis included on his labelıs premier release, Footsteps of Our Fathers, was performed at Amsterdamıs Bimhuis during a European tour in March 2003.
³We felt that we were pretty much done with A Love Supreme when we went to Europe, but my manager wasnıt done with it,² Marsalis recalls wryly. ³After hearing us perform the suite at the Bottom Line, she insisted that we had to film it so she approached Pierre about the project and he agreed.² Pierre Lamoureux, a filmmaker known for his expertise in musical subjects, directed the recent Emmy-winning PBS special ³Only You in Concert² by Harry Connick, Jr. ³Pierre cares about how his films sound as well as how they look,² Branford emphasizes, ³and the combination of Pierre and the Bimhuis was too good to pass up.²
Branford is unsparing in his enthusiasm for the Amsterdam club, which has been a center for jazz in Europe since it opened in 1973. ³I only played there once before, with Art Blakey in 1981, and Iıve wanted to bring my own band into the Bimhuis ever since,² he admits. ³Itıs simply one of the two or three best jazz clubs in the world, because the room is intimate and the focus is on presenting the music instead of selling food and drinks. There is a bar outside of the performance space, and people do go there to hang, but once they walk into the club itself, itıs all about the music.²
Marsalisı acclaimed quartet * with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff ³Tain² Watts * was all about the music as well, as they delivered a performance that is both musically and visually riveting. As a bonus to the live performance, all four members of the quartet, together with Branfordıs fellow saxophonists Michael Brecker, Ned Goold, David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón, discuss the inspiration and the challenges presented by Coltraneıs composition. In addition, Alice Coltrane, John Coltraneıs widow and the pianist in his last band, is seen in a 30-minute conversation with Branford. An audio-only disc of the Bimhuis performance is also included, and is available only in the DVD package.
A Love Supreme is considered by many to be the ultimate expression of the classic John Coltrane quartet, and remains Coltraneıs most popular album. Where Coltrane only performed the suite live on one occasion, Marsalis and band had several opportunities to play individual sections of the piece as well as A Love Supreme in its entirety before hooking up with Lamoureux for video documentation. ³We definitely grew into the piece as we played it, which is why Iım so pleased that Pierre caught us when we really understood it,² Marsalis reports. ³One thing about A Love Supreme, it takes tremendous concentration and focus from every member of the band. The first time we played the whole thing live, all we could do afterward was sit in the dressing room for 20 minutes, totally exhausted. You donıt see this band in that shape too often. By the time we got to the Bimhuis, though, we were up to the challenge.²
What has resulted * a scintillating live performance, plus informed musical commentary and a rare visit with Alice Coltrane * makes A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam a must for all fans of Coltraneıs and Marsalisı music.
MASTERPIECE ON A LOVE SUPREME LIVE IN AMSTERDAM
New Marsalis Music DVD, including full performance plus bonus
interviews and audio-only disc, to be released on November 9.
For Marsalis Musicıs second DVD release, label founder Branford Marsalis and his quartet have been captured in a complete performance of John Coltraneıs 1964 masterpiece A Love Supreme. This legendary suite, which tenor saxophonist Marsalis included on his labelıs premier release, Footsteps of Our Fathers, was performed at Amsterdamıs Bimhuis during a European tour in March 2003.
³We felt that we were pretty much done with A Love Supreme when we went to Europe, but my manager wasnıt done with it,² Marsalis recalls wryly. ³After hearing us perform the suite at the Bottom Line, she insisted that we had to film it so she approached Pierre about the project and he agreed.² Pierre Lamoureux, a filmmaker known for his expertise in musical subjects, directed the recent Emmy-winning PBS special ³Only You in Concert² by Harry Connick, Jr. ³Pierre cares about how his films sound as well as how they look,² Branford emphasizes, ³and the combination of Pierre and the Bimhuis was too good to pass up.²
Branford is unsparing in his enthusiasm for the Amsterdam club, which has been a center for jazz in Europe since it opened in 1973. ³I only played there once before, with Art Blakey in 1981, and Iıve wanted to bring my own band into the Bimhuis ever since,² he admits. ³Itıs simply one of the two or three best jazz clubs in the world, because the room is intimate and the focus is on presenting the music instead of selling food and drinks. There is a bar outside of the performance space, and people do go there to hang, but once they walk into the club itself, itıs all about the music.²
Marsalisı acclaimed quartet * with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff ³Tain² Watts * was all about the music as well, as they delivered a performance that is both musically and visually riveting. As a bonus to the live performance, all four members of the quartet, together with Branfordıs fellow saxophonists Michael Brecker, Ned Goold, David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón, discuss the inspiration and the challenges presented by Coltraneıs composition. In addition, Alice Coltrane, John Coltraneıs widow and the pianist in his last band, is seen in a 30-minute conversation with Branford. An audio-only disc of the Bimhuis performance is also included, and is available only in the DVD package.
A Love Supreme is considered by many to be the ultimate expression of the classic John Coltrane quartet, and remains Coltraneıs most popular album. Where Coltrane only performed the suite live on one occasion, Marsalis and band had several opportunities to play individual sections of the piece as well as A Love Supreme in its entirety before hooking up with Lamoureux for video documentation. ³We definitely grew into the piece as we played it, which is why Iım so pleased that Pierre caught us when we really understood it,² Marsalis reports. ³One thing about A Love Supreme, it takes tremendous concentration and focus from every member of the band. The first time we played the whole thing live, all we could do afterward was sit in the dressing room for 20 minutes, totally exhausted. You donıt see this band in that shape too often. By the time we got to the Bimhuis, though, we were up to the challenge.²
What has resulted * a scintillating live performance, plus informed musical commentary and a rare visit with Alice Coltrane * makes A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam a must for all fans of Coltraneıs and Marsalisı music.
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