To the land of tpin and beyond,
One of the reasons I got back on tpin was to make an open confession of my longstanding skepticism regarding the artistry of Mr. Marsalis.  I heard him this summer at the ITG conference, and I must say that he made a complete believer out of me.  I think I usually had the good manners not to express my skepticism, but I was not in my wildest dreams expecting to hear him play like he played that evening.  His playing not only was about the history of jazz trumpet, it was history in itself.  We are so lucky to have such a talented and dedicated player in the limelight, we really should all rejoice and count are blessings.

   If you remain skeptical yourself, and wouldn't mind listening from a fresh perspective, try "The Midnight Blues" CD, track 9, "Ballad Of The Sad Young Men."  Follow each phrase carefully, noting the beginning, middle, and end of each phrase, and imagine yourself in his shoes, playing the same thing, making the same decisions on the fly.  I think you will quickly realize the depth of his STATEMENT.  Once you get a clue about what he's saying, everything he plays sounds much, much more convincing.  Mark my words, 20 years from now we will all (the public and the trumpet playing community) regard him as a prophet of jazz trumpet playing. Stick to your guns, Wynton. We should all have so much to say.........

There, now I feel SANCTIFIED!!

John Daniel
Associate Professor of Trumpet
Penn State University