Bradford Marsalis

A Concert Report

By: Brent Lennox

May. 22, 1996

Bradford Marsalis played with longtime companion Jeffery "Tain" Watts and newcomer Reginald Veal, who kept up to their ongoing steady tempo and variety of music. Bradford explored the depths of the saxophone with his quick fingers, meaningful tone, and excellent technique. He raised his playing one step ahead of most other saxophone players by being able to play fast, wile still being consistent and having no flaws in his technique and tone.

His approach to playing was very laid back and informal. He set the tone automatically by telling a joke and then turning around to talk to his band members to decide what they were going to play. He started with a burst of energy and then he made it obvious that he was enjoying himself, because he moved with the music and played with his heart. The band members laughed and joked with each other and the crowd. Bradford’s approach made the jazz hungry crowd very involved. Some people in the crowd would occasionally yell with joy and many people said "oh yeah". Everyone around me were tapping their feet and I often just closed my eyes and enjoyed the music. After each song and solo the applause was thunderous and at the end the whole crowd showed its appreciation by clapping for a straight five minutes.

When listening it seemed like he was telling a story because of the variety of notes and sections. Some pieces were very peaceful, while others were bubbly and had a high amount of energy poured through them. The quieter sections were still played with as much intensity as the faster ones.

Bradford was unpredictable and used many variations of notes. His notes were all accurate and his playing was consistently amazing throughout. His tone was fresh, alive, and he had few squeaks. Each note was different, using tools such as dynamics and the combinations that he used were unlike anything that I have ever heard. Even the same notes and patterns sounded different, each time he played them, as sometimes he chose pieces that were distinct, catchy, and unique. He played all the possible notes that could be played throughout many octaves by the end. Bradford easily went from the tenor to soprano saxophones’ top to lowest note. One note was so high that it hurt my ears, but it was consistent and with good tone.

Bradford demonstrated an amazing endurance and he never quit till the end, focusing his attention towards the piece. He played like it was all meant to happen and he didn’t hesitate once.

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