Branford Marsalis: Four MFs Playin’ Tunes

Publication: Financial Times
Author: Mike Hobart
Date: August 31, 2012

The sax-and-rhythm quartet’s first studio recording with drummer Justin Faulkner has all the thrills of their live performances
Five Stars

Branford Marsalis’s equal-partners sax-and-rhythm quartet’s first studio recording with young drummer Justin Faulkner has all the thrills of their live performances. With bassist Eric Revis rock and anchor, drums and lead spin a web of intimate dialogues steeped in warm-hearted lyricism and emotional subtlety. “As Summer Into Autumn Slips” is as bittersweet as its title would suggest, “Endymion” showcases Joey Calderazzo’s florid, cherished-moments romanticism and “Whiplash” is a rampage of contemporary swing. Monk’s “Teo” and the standard “My Ideal” round out an excellent set.