Branford Marsalis Quartet live at 34. International Jazzweek Burghausen 2003

Branford Marsalis, tenor saxophone
Joey Calderazzo, piano
Eric Revis, bass
Jeff „Tain“ Watts, drums
recorded live at Wackerhalle Burghausen, May 8, 2003

1. In the Crease
2. Mumphkin Man

"The intricate "In the Crease" is the kind of set-opener that would rather set up an evening's universe of discourse than knock you flat for starters. Even so, there are probably very few bands who could play it and live. The vamp on which it is constructed will probably defy your attempts to count it. For the record, it's two bars of 4, then one each of 6, 3, 4, 6, followed by three bars of 4; that's on the improv: the melody chorus features an extra bar of 5/8 before the bar of 3, and if you think I worked that out without asking the composer you're mistaking me for some other guy. Anyhow the vamp would only be a wiz-kid math-trick worth its approximate weight in gnats" wings did it not make musical sense and were it not for the fact that the quartet gets into its furious complications and swings it high and wide. Branford's choruses are procedural and logically constructed, and he surprised me by not wrapping himself in sheets of sound, as is sometimes his wont, for a climax: there's just the smallest flash of linen and it's not at the end: there goes another predictable feature of his playing wiped away by fresh development. Quiet as it's kept, I think Joey Calderazzo gets into more interesting terrain on this tune than the leader. While you're enjoying the landscape, do note Tain's serial thunderbolts cannonading down the valley over the vamp near the finish." Rafi Zabor wrote the liner notes for the Grammy winning 2000 album "Contemporary Jazz".

CTI All Star Band feat. Curtis Stigers live in Burghausen 2010

Hubert Laws (fl), Brian Lynch (tp, flh),
Bob Malach (ts), Russell Malone (g),
Niels Lan Doky (p), Mark Egan (b),
Jeff „Tain“ Watts (dr), Airto Moreira (perc),
Curtis Stigers (voc, ts)
41th International Jazzweek Burghausen 2010

1. Red Clay
2. Bimbe Blue
3. Road Song
4. Misturada
5. Sophisticated Lady/ Corcovado
6. Sugar
7. First Light
8. That´s All Right
9. You´ve Got The Fever
10. All The Things You Are
11. Jealous Guy
12. Billie´s Bounce
13. All Blues

After the European tour last Summer, the CTI All Stars are back on the road under the aegis of producer Creed Taylor. The line-up of the CTI 2010 Band includes trumpeterand Brian Lynch replacing Randy Brecker, while Bob Malach takes the sax chair instead of Bill Evans. Curtis Stigers, the great jazz vocalist who also happens to be an excellent saxophonist, is the new "special guest," replacing Flora Purim.

CTI All Stars live in Montreux 2009

Randy Brecker, trumpet
Hubert Laws, flute
Bill Evans, tenor sax
Todd Bashore, alto sax
Russell Malone, guitar
Niels Lan Doky, piano
Mark Egan, bass
Jeff Tain Watts, dums
Airto Moreira, percussion
Flora Purim, vocals

recorded live at Miles Davis Hall, Montreux, July 7, 2009

1. Misturada (A.Moreira)
2. Mr. Clean (W.Irvine)
3. Airto Moreira Solo (A.Moreira)

CTI stands for Creed Taylor Incorporated, better known as CTI Records, the famous jazz/fusion record label. Creed Taylor will probably not be known to everyone. However, since the Grammy success of Getz/Gilberto in 1963, Creed Taylor has been one of the few people whose songs many people can hear in their dreams. Not surprising, given his great accomplishments as the producer for John Coltrane, George Benson, Wes Montgomery, Freddie Hubbard and many others. This hints at great musical quality that under the direction of Creed Taylor himself finds its expression in the CTI All Star Band. He constantly reforms the band for recordings and the performance of special material written specifically for his line-up. Only the world's best are considered and that delivers exceptional combinations.