Crazy People Music
Crazy People Music is a jazz album featuring the Branford Marsalis Quartet, led by saxophonist Branford Marsalis and featuring Kenny Kirkland, Jeff "Tain" Watts, and Robert Hurst. It was recorded January 10, February 18, and March 1, 1990 at RCA Studios in New York, New York.[4] It peaked at number 3 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.[5] It was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist.[4][6]
| Crazy People Music | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | July 1990 | |||
| Recorded | January 10, February 18 & March 1, 1990 | |||
| Genre | Jazz | |||
| Length | 1:04:32 | |||
| Label | Sony Music | |||
| Producer | Dr. George Butler (executive producer); Delfeayo Marsalis | |||
| Branford Marsalis chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
| The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings | [2] |
| Select | 2/5[3] |
Scott Yanow notes in his AllMusic review, "It's an impressive group… ['The Ballad of Chet Kincaid'] would catch on to a general audience, but on the others Marsalis is heard throughout in prime form, sounding more original and pushing himself."[7]
Several critics point to Crazy People Music as a turning point for Marsalis. Nate Chinen of Jazz Times called the album the "first major statement" of Marsalis's new quartet,[8] and Paul Wells wrote in 2014 that the album was when "the band's vision coalesced."[9] Marsalis himself notes, "Crazy People Music was kind of a breakthrough record. We were starting to pull away from the typical post-bop stuff. We weren't really free of it yet…"[10]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Branford Marsalis, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Spartacus" | 8:36 | |
| 2. | "The Dark Knight" | Robert Hurst | 12:47 |
| 3. | "Wolverine" | 10:42 | |
| 4. | "Mr. Steepee" | 6:18 | |
| 5. | "Rose Petals" | Keith Jarrett | 11:11 |
| 6. | "Random Abstract (Diddle-It)" | 9:19 | |
| 7. | "The Ballad of Chet Kincaid (Hikky Burr)" | Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones | 5:41 |
Personnel
- Branford Marsalis - saxophones
- Jeff "Tain" Watts - drums
- Robert Hurst - bass
- Kenny Kirkland - piano
References
- AllMusic Review
- Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 947. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
- Rice, Glenn (August 1990). "Branford Marshalis: Crazy People Music". Select. p. 101.
- "Crazy People Music". Branford Marsalis.com. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- Allmusic Guide
- Pareles, Jon (1991-01-11). "Grammy Nominees Announced". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-01-18.
- Yanow, Scott. Allmusic Review accessed 7 October 2014.
- Chinen, Nate (November 2000). "Branford Marsalis: Committed". Jazz Times. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- Wells, Paul (2014-07-02). "Branford Marsalis Times Two". Maclean's. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
- Tunis, Walter (2010-11-11). "Branford Marsalis has his finger on jazz's pulse". LexGo. Archived from the original on 2010-11-13. Retrieved 2014-10-07.