Trio Jeepy

For his fifth album as a leader, Branford Marsalis showcased his own playing in a trio setting, and rose to the occasion with a performance that placed him among the elite practitioners of saxophone playing. Marsalis is front and center throughout, backed by the thoughtful, blues-savvy support of venerable bassist Milt Hinton and drummer/sidekick Jeff "Tain" Watts. "Housed from Edward," blues inspired by Duke Ellington, sets the tone with a full-throated presentation. Marsalis goes on to explore the tonal range of his instrument in the magnificently structured solo that runs through "The Nearness of You," frolics through "Three Little Words," and handles the standards "Makin' Whoopee" and "Stardust" expertly. Bassist Delbert Felix replaces Hinton for tributes to Sonny Rollins ("Doxy"), Ornette Coleman ("Peace"), and the set-closing burnout "Random Abstract (Tain's Rampage)." --John Swenson