Mayfield, Irvin & Ellis Marsalis
Basin Street, 2008, CD
Instrument: Trumpet
Issue: 14.2
Jazz Ruler Type: Ballads, Blues
Performance: 5
Sound: 4
Score: 
O’s Notes: Irvin (t) takes a romantic and mellow approach with Ellis Marsalis (p). Ellis is the well-known father and teacher of Wynton, Branford, Jason and Delfeayo. He knows what to play when. Neal Caine (b), Jaz Sawyer (d) and the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra punctuate the performance. Marsalis gracefully strikes the keys on “Romeo and Juliet” while Irvin does wonders with the mute. They transform 14 standards with injections of soul and passion. We liked the swing and sound dynamics of “Mo Betta Blues”, the swagger of the melody on “In A Sentimental Mood” and the bounce of “Come Rain or Shine”. But there are no losers in this set. Thank God the boys at Basin Street are back in gear! They haven’t lost a beat!
Publicist: Basin Street Records
