Inheritance (HiPNOTIC Records)
Todd Marcus
Released October 23, 2012
NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll Best New Albums 2012
YouTube:
https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_noEOzMURt4rAxQG25RFNa91wbNK-bPFX8
Spotify:
About:
Inheritance is the 2012 sophomore album in follow-up to Marcus’s nine-piece orchestra recording In Pursuit of the 9th Man in 2006. Inheritance showcases Marcus’s compositional and virtuosic improvisational abilities in the modern mainstream quartet setting with two distinct rhythm sections. One features Marcus with Xavier Davis on piano, Eric Wheeler on bass, and Eric Kennedy on drums, playing Marcus’s more introspective pieces and is augmented by special guest Don Byron on clarinet on three tracks. The other rhythm section features George Colligan on piano, Wheeler on bass, and Warren Wolf on drums, helping to propel Marcus’s more uptempo compositions.
The album includes arrangements of jazz standards and several originals that showcase Marcus’s initial efforts to incorporate Middle Eastern themes in his writing, a nod to his paternal Egyptian heritage. As JazzTimes contributor David R. Adler writes in the album liner notes, “It was In Pursuit of the 9th Man that made people sit up and take notice of Marcus – he was quickly tapped as a core arranger and composer for Orrin Evans’s incendiary Captain Black Big Band – and it’s Inheritance that will propel him to the next stages of his creative journey.”
Track Listing:
1. The Adventures of Kang & Kodos (Todd Marcus) 7:09
2. Herod (Part I) (Todd Marcus) 2:44
3. Herod (Part 2) (Todd Marcus) 8:17
4. Bye Bye Blackbird (Ray Henderson / Mort Dixon) 7:47
5. Herod (Reflections) (Todd Marcus) 2:15
6. Wahsouli (Todd Marcus) 6:55
7. Solstice (Todd Marcus) 9:15
8. Epistrophy (Thelonious Monk / Kenny Clarke) 5:00
9. Blues for Tahrir (Todd Marcus) 9:10
10. Inheritance (Todd Marcus) 7:50
Personnel:
Todd Marcus: bass clarinet (1-4, 6-8, 10) / clarinet (5, 9)
Don Byron: clarinet (2, 3, 7)
Xavier Davis: piano (2, 3, 5-8)
Eric Kennedy: drums (2, 3, 5-8)
Eric Wheeler: bass (all)
George Colligan: piano (1, 4, 9, 10)
Warren Wolff: drums (1, 4, 9, 10)
Jon Seligman: percussion (9)
Recorded at Charlestown Road Studio, Hampton, NJ
Mixed & mastered at Skyline Productions, Warren, NJ
Executive Producer Tony Haywood
Produced by Tony Haywood and Todd Marcus Recorded, mixed, edited & mastered by Paul Wickliffe
Review:
On Todd Marcus’ second album, the bass clarinetist switches between a quartet showcasing his drive and one stressing his more thoughtful side. The tracks featuring pianist George Colligan and Warren Wolf (here on drums rather than vibes) are denser, if no less heartfelt. Performances with pianist Xavier Davis and drummer Eric Kennedy are more liquid, particularly both parts of “Herod,” among Marcus’ more pointedly political pieces. Eric Wheeler plays bass throughout, and he drives.
While Marcus focuses on the under-heard bass clarinet, he also plays the regular version, threading bright lines through the “Herods.” (Guest Don Byron, also on clarinet, grants the “Herods” special urgency.) Marcus’ mastery of the regular clarinet also comes through on “Blues for Tahrir,” a dark homage to the Arab spring-and a nod to Marcus’ half-Egyptian heritage; Jon Seligman’s ratchety percussion adds tension to this complicated track. He turns the licorice stick into an instrument of power and expressiveness. Even the standards-a rocking, bluesy “Bye Bye Blackbird” and Monk’s “Epistrophy,” done to a jittery turn-benefit from his aggressive approach.
Carlo Wolff (JazzTimes)
