Sweet Release and Ghost Story

wow! wynton marsalis continues to grow!

with the fifth release in the swinging into the 21st century series, we find mr. marsalis continuing to explore his compositional skills. these two ballets could be easily partnered with "jump start & jazz" from a couple of years ago. the first "sweet release" reflects charles mingus' experiments with jazz ensembles from his jazz workshop era. mr. marsalis reminds us clearly that jazz is dance music, with a swing designed to get bodies (even booties) moving! the lcjo is in fine form here, even with the constraints of a ballet score. the emphasis is, of course, not so much on the soloists, but on the ensemble, creating a group swing. this is excellent! the second "ghost story," is much more thoughtful and introspective, as one might expect. this is not a leap-in-fright ghost, but more reminiscent of a haunting melody on a rainy afternoon. the smaller ensemble captures the mood and atmosphere of the piece wonderfully. as with all ballet music, this makes you want to see how the dancers moved with the music, how it was choreographed, to see what images go with the sounds. not having seen, but only heard, this music inspires the imagination to paint its own pictures to accompany these soundtracks. mr. marsalis is a first-rate composer, continuing to grow and deepen. these are great steps along that journey. August 11, 1999

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