Mr. Marsalis is 46 years old today. In his honor, I’m streaming a track from his latest album, “From the Plantation to the Penitentiary.” It’s downloadable from iTunes and Amazon.com.Click here to listen to “Where Y’All At?,” his spoken-word cri de coeur about the state of all things.
Not saying Wynton could cut it as a Last Poet – not when he reaches for a word like “blunderbuss” to make a rhyme work – but at least he spreads the blame around.
Long may you blow your horn, brah.
(The photo above is by Jonathan Feinstein, and is used here under a Creative Commons Attribution 1.0 license.)
6 comments:
I saw Wynton live back in his first heyday -- at Wolf Trap which you know well I'm sure. Tremendous band and great energy and he played some challenging stuff, not I think what the audience was expecting.
Happy Birthday to a real player.
(Sorry to have to repost -- I had a major spelling error. Doh!)
^ The "Young Lion" phase... I bet he was hot indeed, S.O.L.
I'm not a fan of Wynton's. Years ago, maybe 25, I read an article in which he dissed Prince. Being a diehard Prince fan I took it personal. :-) I remember writing a response, but I can't remember if I mailed it. I only remember that it appeared in a Brooklyn newspaper.
I searched the net a little looking for it. But couldn't find it. Instead I found one about how much he hates hip-hop. (He sounds like a Be-Bop Bill Cosby.) It also mentions how he "denounce[d] his fellow musicians who have moved into funk, fusion and the avant garde."
Prickly, pop music snob.
He must've had some hellacious arguments with Branford, Jena6... because Branford's "Buckshot LaFonque" projects came with the real hip-hoppity funk.
And I'm sure Prince doesn't give a shit what Wynton thinks about him... not after Prince done jammed with Miles.
I wonder what Kenny Burns got him for his birthday this year?
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