Worst Wynton Marsalis CD

[Dan Gould]

OK, here's the companion poll. Which CD is Wynton's biggest faux pax, his biggest embarrasment?

[Rooster_Ties]

Damn voting 'radio buttons' won't let me vote for all of them...

[Claude]

Kudos to Dan for this diffcult choice of selecting only 10 Wynton albums for this poll.

The 3 "Soul Gestures in Southern Blue" volumes would have been natural candidates as well, and some of his ballets and thematic compositions

[Christiern]

Dan, of all the things you have done on this board, this iss the meanest!

If ever multiple selection was called for...

BTW, I chose the derailed Big Train, but I could have gone down the line.

[John Tapscott]

I voted for "Midnight Blue". Though Wynton's trumpet playing is often quite beautiful on the CD, overall I find the CD to be insufferably dull. At 77 minutes, it's way, way too long. I'm asleep before I've listened to half to it. Snoozeville.

[connoisseur series500]

I voted for "Blue Interlude" as I couldn't stand that cd. I will admit however some ignorance regarding how good/bad many of the others may be. I, er, haven't felt an overwhelming motivation to check out the full recording portfolio of Wynton Marsalis.

[pryan]

Chalk up another one for THE MIDNIGHT BLUES (mainly because it's the only Wynton disc that I own). I agree with John's assessment: too long and a serious lack of variety. A major 'sameness' to almost every tune. If I want to listen to something in this vein, I'll usually spin Roy Hargrove's MOMENT TO MOMENT, which has a similar lack of variety (although, admittedly not as bad as MB); the major difference is Roy's playing, which I dig FAR more than Wynton's.

Edited May 23, 2003 by pryan

[catesta]

My wife bought me Big Train as a gift when we saw Marsalis and the LCJO a few years back.

The fact it was a gift is the only reason it still sits on the shelf. B)

[Dan Gould]

Funny, but I was listening to the Midnight Blues Cd this morning before I posted these polls. As I recall I got it because at the time I was courtin' my wife and was more open to the potential value of "mood-setting" albums. When I popped it in I thought, well if this doesn't grab me this will go in the "to sell" pile but I actually found it solidly on the "not bad" side. Yes, there's a sameness and it didn't need to be 70 minutes long, but I still enjoyed it, and that was sitting alone in an office blazing with flourescent lights, not alone with my sweetie in a darkened living room

[Alexander]

I went with "Jelly Lord." A mistake if there ever was one.

[JohnS]

I haven't heard any of them

[Christiern]

I haven't heard any of them 

me neither, am I missing something?

No

And I can't think of a single W. Marsalis release that doesn't apply to. For every recording he made that is "good" there are tons of recordings by other trumpet players that are infinitely better.

[RDK]

I couldn't get through the first disc of Blood on the Fields, but more for the operatic-styled vocals than for Marsalis' playing.

[Jazzmoose]

Wow, I actually have to skip a poll! I only have one Marsalis disc, his first. It's pretty good in spots, with some great work by the sidemen and such, but nothing that made me want to get any more.

[BruceH]

Tune In Tomorrow is actually quite good, IMHO. I voted for Blood On the Fields.

[kdd]

Tune in Tomorrow and Live at the Vanguard shouldn't be on this list in my opinion as they are both OK. I guess I'll vote for Blood on the Fields.

[JohnS]

When I first heard Wynton live I thought this guy can really play. But after listening to two or three of his earlier recordings under his own name I couldn't find much in his playing that hadn't been done before by Miles, Woody Shaw or Freddie Hubbard. And why are some of his compositions so "difficult/clever"?

[chris olivarez]

I would have voted for "Citiscape" if it was here-zzzzzz!!!

[Ed S]

I did not vote.

I've pretty much given up on Wynton and only have heard four of these. Could not choose between the 4 I know - and that's not because I enjoyed any of them.

[Guest Mnytime]

There are several to choose from but for me the worst is the Monk, which is the dullest and most lifeless I have heard of Monks music. It's like they have the sheets for the music but they really didn't "know" the music.