Wynton Marsalis
' exuberant 2018 concert collection
United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas
brings together a handful of live performances the trumpeter gave on behalf of Jazz at Lincoln Center between 2003 and 2007. Recorded first at New York's Apollo Theater and later at JALC's Frederick P. Rose Hall, these previously unreleased gala performances featured
Marsalis
and his septet alongside a bevy of special guests, including such luminaries as
Bob Dylan
,
Ray Charles
Eric Clapton
James Taylor
John Legend
, and many more. Of course, all of the performances hinge upon the superb interplay between
' septet bandmates, including at various times drummer
Herlin Riley
, bassist
Reginald Veal
, pianist
Dan Nimmer
, saxophonist
Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson
, trombonist
Wycliffe Gordon
, and clarinetist
Victor Goines
, to name just a few of the superb musicians on display here. What's particularly engaging about these gala performances is how successfully
is able to blend each guest artist's own distinctive style into his septet's swinging, traditional New Orleans jazz aesthetic. It's a sound that works best with guests like the legendary vocal gospel band
Blind Boys of Alabama
, whose "The Last Time" finds them matching
' roiling brass band energy with their own earthy, R&B-soaked tones. Similarly captivating is
' greasy spotlight on "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," in which his vibrant singing is dynamically accented by
' own rounded, bluesy, plunger-muted asides. Also surprisingly effective are collaborations with less jazz-oriented performers, like
John Mayer
's yearning, soulful rendition of his own "I'm Gonna Find Another You" and Broadway superstar
Audra McDonald
's leonine, show-stopping performance of
Duke Ellington
's "Creole Love Call." Even when
stretches a song far beyond its original conception, as with
Lenny Kravitz
's expansive, slow blues reading of "Are You Gonna Go My Way," the results work to bridge artistic connections rather than spotlight any differences. Ultimately, it's that generous artistic connectivity on display throughout
United We Swing
that makes it such a joyous experience. ~ Matt Collar