Wynton Marsalis - Popular Songs: The Best Of Wynton Marsalis (2001)

Wynton Marsalis has the probably unwelcome distinction of being one of the most polarizing figures in jazz. While many have praised his outspoken reverence for jazz history and tradition (most visibly as the lead commentator on Ken Burns's Jazz PBS documentary), jazz fans of the more underground and alternative variety have decried his supposed retro sensibilities. Through it all has shone Marsalis's unassailable musical skill, and that's what Popular Songs: The Best of Wynton Marsalis, thankfully trains its spotlight on. While Popular Songs--the first such compilation of Marsalis's career--isn't quite the career-spanning retrospective it could have been (the earliest cut dates from 1985), it's a decent overview of the trumpeter's legacy so far. Fans of Marsalis's Duke Ellington-influenced writing for largish small bands (or smallish large bands, if you prefer) will delight in the richness of "Root Groove," "Invitation," and "Sunflowers," and the trumpeter's crystal-clear tone and tremendous technical command are amply showcased on the standards "Cherokee" and "Where or When." Marsalis's sidemen, including pianist Marcus Roberts, saxophonists Wessell Anderson and Branford Marsalis, drummer Jeff "Tain" Watts and others, have always been among the best young players in jazz, and all of them enliven Popular Songs as well. The song selection though, could have done more to convert the unconverted: fans of more left-of-center jazz who might be surprised at the edginess of Marsalis's mid-1980's quintet will probably remain unmoved by Popular Songs, as the thrilling title track from Black Codes from the Underground is the lone representative from that period. -- Ezra Gale