Jazz meets Shakespeare in Delfeayo Marsalis’ latest release Sweet Thunder. With this CD, the classically-trained trombonist of the renowned Marsalis family decided to produce a modern version of the Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn 12-part suite, Such Sweet Thunder. Although not considered to be the Duke’s most famous album, it is nonetheless a classic work that has drawn much attention since its debut back in 1957 for his musical depictions of the themes and characters from William Shakespeare’s plays.
Marsalis didn’t want to cover the original tracks for this project. Instead, he wanted to put a contemporary spin on them, “to imagine what [Ellington and Strayhorn] might have written if they were here today, more than 50 years later. To me this is jazz opera without the vocals, telling a story with the dramatic music,” Marsalis states on his website. He was more than qualified to take on the task, having spent years studying the material in higher education and writing his thesis on Ellington and Shakespeare for the University of Louisville.
Having not heard Ellington and Strayhorn’s original composition, I can’t compare it against Marsalis’ interpretation. However, I can discuss the quality of the music on Sweet Thunder which, in short, is a real treat. The suite was intended for a 15-piece jazz orchestra, but Marsalis arranges it for an octet, no doubt making the sound tighter and more powerful. The recording boasts outstanding solos from some of the jazz world’s most well-known figures including Marsalis’ brothers, Branford (sax) and Jason (drums); pianist Mulgrew Miller; saxophonists Victor Goines and Mark Gross; trumpeter Tiger Okoshi; bassist Charnett Moffett; and drummer Winard Harper.
A feeling of nostalgia weaves its way through each track, evoking jazz traditions one moment before switching to the overlaying beats we’re familiar with these days, the next. This is most obvious in numbers like “Such Sweet Thunder,” “Sonnet to Hank Cinq” and “The Telecasters.” But the most fun is had while listening to the CD and trying to determine which literary characters are embodied in these pieces. For instance, “Star-Crossed Lovers” is a clear reference to Romeo and Juliet with its mournful and bluesy melody that lulls the listener to sleep (in a good way) much like our beloved couple’s final pose. And the haunting intro to “Sonnet for Sister Kate” definitely conveys the hesitation of Petruchio as he prepares to woo Katherina in The Taming of the Shrew. Of course there are also tributes to Hamlet, Othello and Lady Macbeth that I’m sure high school students would prefer to analyzing the plays.
Overall, Delfeayo Marsalis’ Sweet Thunder is a worthy addition to any jazz collection. More importantly, it’s an effort that allows Delfeayo to come out from the shadow of his older siblings. Both the Bard and the Duke would surely approve.
For more information, please visit Delfeayo Marsalis’ website.