Tenor saxophonist and contemporary jazz great Branford Marsalis will perform tonight with "Buckshot LeFonque," his 13 piece band, in Webster Hall at 8 p.m.
His most recent effort, an album titled "Buckshot LeFonque," is the focus of the concert. The recording blends traditional jazz rhythms and harmonies with hip-hop, reggae, R&B and world music for a unique, energetic sound.
Though Marsalis is not the first jazz artist to experiment with fusing jazz and other musical forms, he brings together a diverse repertoire which reflects his broad musical knowledge. He has performed with artists such as the Grateful Dead, Bruce Hornsby and Sting as well as recording several award winning albums such as "I Heard You Twice The First Time" and "Random Abstract."
The music on "Buckshot" is unlike the music produced by the Digable Planets, A Tribe Called Quest and US3, the other bands who have experimented with uniting jazz and "urban music." The distinct sound of "Buckshot," however, stems from Marsalis' use of traditional jazz instruments like the acoustic bass and piano instead of samples from previously recorded albums.
"Buckshot" features an impressive band, including DJ Premier, America's poet laureate Maya Angelou, the late blues master Albert Collins, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Bob Hurst and drummer Jeff Watts. Marsalis not only explores musical genres but also manages to integrate poetry into the album, with Maya Angelou reading "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" to a dramatic musical backdrop.
Marsalis is primarily influenced by the tenor saxophonists of the 1950s and 1960s, artists like Ornette Coleman, Joe Henderson, Cannonball Adderly and alto saxophonist Charlie Parker. "I based my saxophone style on Ben Webster, Prez (Lester Young), and Sonny Rollins for sound, and Wayne Shorter for concept," Marsalis said in a recent press release. He is also well versed in the soprano saxophone but has concentrated on tenor of late. He says of his decision to purse the tenor sax: "the closest instrument to the human voice, in terms of depth and emotionally moving a person, the blackest of all the instruments."
Tickets for tonight's concert are still available at the Collis infodesk, J.B. Jammin' and all Strawberries stores. They are $18 for the general public and $15 for Dartmouth students.
