United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas

by Wynton Marsalis

Overview

Wynton Marsalis' exuberant 2018 concert collection United We Swing: Best of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Galas brings together a handful of live performances the trumpeter gave on behalf of Jazz at Lincoln Center between 2003 and 2007. Recorded first at New York's Apollo Theater and later at JALC's Frederick P. Rose Hall, these previously unreleased gala performances featured Marsalis and his septet alongside a bevy of special guests, including such luminaries as Bob Dylan, Ray Charles, Eric Clapton, James Taylor, John Legend, and many more. Of course, all of the performances hinge upon the superb interplay between Marsalis' septet bandmates, including at various times drummer Herlin Riley, bassist Reginald Veal, pianist Dan Nimmer, saxophonist Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and clarinetist Victor Goines, to name just a few of the superb musicians on display here. What's particularly engaging about these gala performances is how successfully Marsalis is able to blend each guest artist's own distinctive style into his septet's swinging, traditional New Orleans jazz aesthetic. It's a sound that works best with guests like the legendary vocal gospel band Blind Boys of Alabama, whose "The Last Time" finds them matching Marsalis' roiling brass band energy with their own earthy, R&B-soaked tones. Similarly captivating is Ray Charles' greasy spotlight on "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town," in which his vibrant singing is dynamically accented by Marsalis' own rounded, bluesy, plunger-muted asides. Also surprisingly effective are collaborations with less jazz-oriented performers, like John Mayer's yearning, soulful rendition of his own "I'm Gonna Find Another You" and Broadway superstar Audra McDonald's leonine, show-stopping performance of Duke Ellington's "Creole Love Call." Even when Marsalis stretches a song far beyond its original conception, as with Lenny Kravitz's expansive, slow blues reading of "Are You Gonna Go My Way," the results work to bridge artistic connections rather than spotlight any differences. Ultimately, it's that generous artistic connectivity on display throughout United We Swing that makes it such a joyous experience. ~ Matt Collar

Product Details

Release Date:	03/23/2018
Label:	Blue Engine Records
UPC:	0857509005131
Rank:	91852

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Wynton Marsalis   Primary Artist,Trumpet
Susan Tedeschi   Featured Artist
Ray Charles   Vocals,Keyboards,Featured Artist
Audra McDonald   Vocals,Featured Artist
Dan Nimmer   Piano
The Blind Boys of Alabama   Featured Artist
Bob Dylan   Vocals,Harmonica,Featured Artist
Bobby Butler   Vocals
Clarence Fountain   Vocals
Carlos Henriquez   Bass
Lyle Lovett   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Mac McAnally   Guitar
Eric Clapton   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Herlin Riley   Vocals,Drums
Willie Nelson   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Eric "Ricky" McKinnie   Vocals
Joey Williams   Vocals
Craig Ross   Guitar
Wessell "Warmdaddy" Anderson   Vocals,Clarinet,Sax (Alto)
Carrie Smith   Vocals,Featured Artist
Doug Wamble   Guitar,Vocals
John Legend   Piano,Vocals,Featured Artist
Ralph MacDonald   Congas
Wycliffe Gordon   Piano,Vocals,Trumpet,Trombone,Sax (Tenor)
Eric Lewis   Piano
Lenny Kravitz   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist
Derek Trucks   Featured Artist
James Taylor   Vocals,Featured Artist
Victor Goines   Vocals,Clarinet,Sax (Tenor),Clarinet (Bass)
Ron Westray   Trombone
Robert Greenidge   Drums (Steel)
Richard DeRosa   Piano
Richard Johnson   Piano
Jimmy Buffett   Vocals,Featured Artist
Natalie Merchant   Vocals,Featured Artist
Reginald Veal   Bass
Jimmy Carter   Vocals
Jon Batiste   Piano
Fab Dupont   Sax (Alto)
John Meyer   Guitar,Vocals,Featured Artist

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Andy Farber   Arranger
Bob Dylan   Composer
Kokomo Arnold   Composer
Duke Ellington   Composer
Lyle Lovett   Composer
Todd Whitelock   Post Producer,Mixing Engineer
David Berger   Arranger
Craig Ross   Composer
Wycliffe Gordon   Arranger,Composer,Liner Notes
Wynton Marsalis   Arranger,Executive Producer
Casey Bill Weldon   Composer
Lenny Kravitz   Composer
James Taylor   Composer
Lil Hardin Armstrong   Composer
Louis Armstrong   Composer
Johnny Fuller   Composer
Mark Wilder   Mastering
Richard DeRosa   Arranger
Natalie Merchant   Composer
David Avid   Composer
Robert Goddins   Composer
David Robinson   Engineer
James C. Johnson   Composer
Sam Berkow   Supervising Engineer
David Hewill   Engineer
Aaron Bisman   Producer,Label Manager
Gabrielle Armand   A&R,Producer
Ashley Schiff Ramos   Liner Notes
John Meyer   Composer
John Roger Stephens   Composer
Paul Rogers   Cover Art,Illustrations
Richard Carroll Lamb   Composer
William Taylor   Composer
Brian Welesko   Design,Art Direction
Jake Cohen   Producer,Product Manager
Madeleine Cuddy   Assistant