What's your Branford to Wynton Ratio?

[BeBop]

Leader Dates

Branford: 9

Wynton: 0

Ratio: Not Meaningful

Sideman and Leader Dates

Branford: 15

Wynton: 8 (Blakey, Joe Hen, Herbie...)

Ratio: 187.5%

Just messing around today.

[CJ Shearn]

Leader dates: Branford, 5

Wynton, 0

Sideman Appearances: Branford: 3

Wynton: 2

[felser]

I like the early Wynton's, especially the Live at Jazz Alley date. That was before he was trying to educate us, just playing trumpet instead. Love love love his work with Blakey/Watson.

[AllenLowe]

0 to minus 4.

[jazzbo]

I listen to a lot more Wynton than Branford, and don't listen a whole lot to either.

[GA Russell]

I've never heard much Branford. I was given his album Requiem when it was new, but never got around to opening it, I suppose because the reviews weren't great.

I bought Wynton's Village Vanguard box (7 CDs for something like $35) ten years ago, and I've heard I think five of the disks. I'm pretty sure I could get a CD of good music from the five that I've heard.

[kh1958]

As for recordings I might listen to again, none for Branford and one for Wynton (his Village Vanguard box set).

[.:.impossible]

I don't have any. Mingus Epitaph?

[paul secor]

Have no Wynton. Have one Bradford - Trio Jeepy - because Milt Hinton plays bass on it.

[BeBop]

I was actually thinking about this Ratio because I recently broke down and bought Branford's "Mirth and Melancholy" (with Joey Calderazzo). I'm a sucker for duo recordings - tenor/piano, tenor/bass, tenor/drums. On the other hand, the duo album with Branford and Ellis, "Loved Ones" never really did it for me.

I'll give this one a few listens and pass it on.

[CJ Shearn]

Branford's new one "Four MF's Playin Tunes" is really quite good.

[colinmce]

I have 4 Wyton-- Black Codes, J Mood, Citi Movement and the Monk album-- no Branford. I like the Wynton albums for what they are. Citi Movement is really quite good, in a bravura type of way. The Monk is overlong, but I think it's clever-- good sidemen.

[John L]

I have more Wynton than Branford albums, not that I necessarily like Wynton more. I rarely listen to either.

[fasstrack]

Leader Dates

Branford: 9

Wynton: 0

Ratio: Not Meaningful

Just messing around today.

I was a classic Wynton hater, like a lot of jazzers my age. We resented him, and a lot of it was jealousy. Then a few things happened: I was in a movie theater and they played Hot House Flowers-w/o me knowing who it was, so no prejudice. I really dug the playing and the string writing. I didn't buy it. Then I met him twice at JALC rehearsals, and he couldn't have been nicer. He wrote a great chart for an Ornette Coleman show for one, and played a really nice flugel solo on the other. The way he ran the rehearsal professional-no ego. Is he my favorite trumpet player? No, he is not. But I have a lot of respect for Wynton. Branford's playing I always liked. He had a nice feel and great time, and a beautiful sound on soprano. I actually bought the CD Eternal (also Renaissance) and heard his group in Newark-and enjoyed all. I guess I lean a bit toward Branford.

[jlhoots]

Branford's new one "Four MF's Playin Tunes" is really quite good.

I agree.

[David Ayers]

I was gifted Branford's first LP on issue. It was a bit light for my tastes at that time and I never went further.

Like kh I have the VV box set (what is it about box sets on this board...). With the best will in the world, I found what I got to quite dull, with little tension or drama. When I listen to it now I ask myself what are the goals of the music, and I genuinely don't know.

Wynton's projects are evidently more highbrow and complicated than Branford's. Branford is an honest, light music player, but with his last as with his first I miss bite, and also after a little admittedly pleasant listening I start to get bored with a lack of harmonic and rhythmic tension. Tension, not complexity (too strong - complicatedness [?]).

And no real beauty of expression in either - not a moment that you can take to heart.

Edited October 1, 2012 by David Ayers

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

No-score draw. These are jazz musicians, aren't they?

MG

[WD45]

0:0

[alocispepraluger102]

20 YEARS ago in cleveland, i was sitting in a tiny generic long gone 40 seat jazz dive (the much lamented bop stop) late at night, when an amiable wynton, after a downtown show, walked in and put his horn case on the bar.

he sat in for a while, and bought a few musicians beers. the sets were alternately rough and great. i realized then that wynton that night wasn't the guy in a suit, but just another jazz cat.

Edited October 1, 2012 by alocispepraluger102

[Larry Kart]

Don't have an interest in my "ratio," but Wynton after a certain rather early point is IMO a train wreck (aesthetically, both as a player and a composer, and as a social-musical figure, but perforce someone whom one has to keep track of to a certain degree, if only to be aware of how bizarre it all is/has become), while Branford in my experience is pretty much a cipher musically -- OK at best, but so what? -- though he is capable of saying some really stupid things in a jive ex cathedra manner.

[relyles]

Branford 17; Wynton 21. Mild surprise to myself and those are only the recordings with them as leader.

Edited October 1, 2012 by relyles

[Quincy]

I have the Wynton Christmas LP which I bought back when I had maybe a dozen jazz albums and mostly bought it to have jazz Christmas album. I don't think I have him on the side for anything though I may someday pick him up on a Blakey.

I have Branford on 4 though I don't see listening to Sting's Dream Of The Blue Turtles or Miles' Decoy again. I like his appearance with the Grateful Dead on 3-29-90 which is probably my favorite guest appearance for the band.

So the final score on leader 0/1. Sideman & leader is 4/1. Branford wins.

[slide_advantage_redoux]

Branford LPs/CDs: 6

Wynton: Zippo

[BeBop]

Without getting too deep into the merits of each brother (setting aside the rest of the clan), it's interesting how different the Ratio is here as opposed to in what I perceive to be the "general jazz market". My impressions of the market are skewed, of course. I'm mainly looking through used CD bins to kill a few minutes between this and that. So I'm seeing (1) what sold into the market and (2) is now being re-sold.

[robertoart]

0-0

No Eric Clapton or Sting either.