Marciac Suite

Marciac Suite

ASIN: B00004WK3B

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Like Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis writes about many places and spaces. This 13-part opus, the final release of the trumpeter's Swinging into the 21st Century Series, is dedicated to the Jazz in Marciac Festival in France, where Marsalis has performed and taught since 1991. Stylistically, the work bears the style-spanning traits of a Marsalis composition, running from waltzes to carnival tunes. There are the sensual ballads, like "Mademoiselle D'Gascony" and "Guy Lafitte" with its echoes of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" and tenor saxophonist Victor Goines's evocative solo. Marcus Roberts's stride piano dance illuminates "For My Kids at the College of Marciac," while "Marciac Fun" is powered by the Afro-Caribbean rhythm supplied by drummer Herlin Riley and Roland Guerrero. Naturally, Marsalis's trumpet takes center stage throughout the recording, most notably on the mainstream swinger "Loose Duck" and on the midtempo "Sunflowers," with its intriguing optimistic melody and slightly dissonant railroad-horn riffs. All told, Wynton Marsalis has composed an aural postcard that shows off the swinging sights and sounds of his home away from home. --Eugene Holley Jr.

From Jazziz
Wynton Marsalis' compositional aspirations are very grand, as proved by his immense works for jazz orchestra. Nonetheless, Marsalis remains far more effective when he keeps the scale small, as on The Marciac Suite (Columbia), written for septet and performed admirably by a now-familiar cast of his Lincoln Center cohorts (starring trombonist Wycliffe Gordon and reedmen Wes Anderson and Victor Goines).

Marsalis wrote the suite to celebrate his tenth annual appearance at Jazz In Marciac, a summertime festival in southwestern France. The suite's programmatic nature - with pieces dedicated to the festival site, the surrounding wine country, and various individuals - ideally suits his skills as a musical portraitist. Like his model and inspiration, Duke Ellington, Marsalis excels at miniatures and cameos, rather than the epic canvasses he seems to prefer. On The Marciac Suite, he's assembled a nicely varied collection of these smaller, self-contained pieces, and his combo performs them with robust pleasure. You won't hear anything new in Marsalis' writing or playing.

Tracks:

Loose Duck
The Big Top
Jean-Louis Is Everywhere
Mademoiselle D'Gascony
Armagnac Dreams
Marciac Fun
For My Kids At The College Of Marciac
Marciac Moon
D'Artagnan
Guy Lafitte
B Is For Boussaget (And Bass)
In the House Of Laberriere
Sunflowers

Amazon.com

Like Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis writes about many places and spaces. This 13-part opus, the final release of the trumpeter's Swinging into the 21st Century Series, is dedicated to the Jazz in Marciac Festival in France, where Marsalis has performed and taught since 1991. Stylistically, the work bears the style-spanning traits of a Marsalis composition, running from waltzes to carnival tunes. There are the sensual ballads, like "Mademoiselle D'Gascony" and "Guy Lafitte" with its echoes of Billy Strayhorn's "Chelsea Bridge" and tenor saxophonist Victor Goines's evocative solo. Marcus Roberts's stride piano dance illuminates "For My Kids at the College of Marciac," while "Marciac Fun" is powered by the Afro-Caribbean rhythm supplied by drummer Herlin Riley and Roland Guerrero. Naturally, Marsalis's trumpet takes center stage throughout the recording, most notably on the mainstream swinger "Loose Duck" and on the midtempo "Sunflowers," with its intriguing optimistic melody and slightly dissonant railroad-horn riffs. All told, Wynton Marsalis has composed an aural postcard that shows off the swinging sights and sounds of his home away from home. --Eugene Holley Jr.

Customer Reviews:

A Perfect Picture of a Perfect Town.......2006-07-17

Marciac has always been my spiritual home in France (even before the Jazz Festival started), and so, when I heard that Wynton Marsalis had recorded a jazz tribute to the community and its jazz festival I just had to buy it.

First of all - as a "jazz record" - Marciac Suite works very well. It's tuneful and accessible, without being bubblegum jazz. The kind of stuff you can easily listen to on a sunny Sunday afternoon.

As an audio painting of Marciac, however, it is absolutely brilliant. When I listen to it, I can actually picture the places and settings that Marsallis was trying to capture. I love several of the tunes, but especicially Jean-Louis is Everywhere (4) and Guy Lafitte (10). The opening tune, Loose Duck, is humourous and enjoyable.

If you are interested, and in the region (South West France)during August. I would highly recommend going to the Marciac Jazz Festival. The music is good, the musicians are always top notch (especially considering how small the place is) and the people are warm and inviting (which is kind of un-French).

Brilliant.......2006-06-04

I recieved this album against my will - through the mail from a jazz club I had recently been suckered into.

I am not an avid jazz listener, besides my slight obsession with Dave Brubeck and Thelonious Monk.

This album got me interested in jazz. It is simple enough to study to (I am in college), and complex enough to sit and really LISTEN to, after a long day.
Very soothing. Very exciting. I would miss this album very much if I misplaced it.

Wonderful, nearly perfect.......2005-12-31

This album remains (after four years) one of my favorite in my 300+ collection of jazz and classical. I loved it at first hearing and I still do. It takes New Orleans Jazz and Ellington as it's base and creates something entirely new--thirteen beautifully composed and rendered pieces making up a "suite" of impressions of the French town of Marciac. These melodies will remain in your head as persistently as the scent of a dozen roses.

For those new to jazz or to Marsalis, buy this. It's like stepping outside into a warm spring day after a cold, hard winter. The sun, the birds, the sky, the breeze--they're all here and are just as enveloping. For parents: if you are trying to introduce your children to jazz (or to classical music in general) this is the CD to do it with. It's easily accessible and a very happy piece of music.

Serious jazz buffs will appreciate the tight playing of the septet and the coherance of the thirteen pieces. Nicely done.

ECHOES OF ELLINGTON.......2005-03-16

The current reigning King of Swing plays a jazz suite that evokes the echoes of his hero Ellington. I recall the elegant blues strains of Ellington's NEW ORLEANS SUITE, but with that signature Marsalis' blues horn that is all his own.

Wynton was never one to follow the fashions of current contemporary jazz. He never strays far from the roots of this music. A tasty recording by a man who continues to carry the torch in the blues and swing tradition. THIS IS BEAUTIFUL JAZZ.

ENJOY.

My Awakening.......2004-06-30

This is brilliant, wonderful music. I've never been tremendously impressed with Marsalis. But that changed once I heard a few cuts from this suite and knew I had to hear more. Everything is so tight, so moving. I really enjoyed the entire suite, and was totally knocked out by the final cut, "Sunflowers."

Marsalis may have recorded a lot of good but not great material, but this effort is outstanding.

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