Wynton Marsalis: At the Octoroon Balls, String Quartet No. 1

The sound world of Wynton Marsalis just keeps expanding. With At the Octoroon Balls, the composer/jazz trumpeter has written his first composition for string quartet. Filled with Americana references and plenty of New Orleans soul, the piece may surprise you. "Come Long Fiddler" flows between the rollick of Appalachian Spring and the somber quietude of Satie. "Hellbound Highball" swings with the rhythmic intensity of a locomotive and "Blue Lights on the Bayou" is a somber tone poem. The Orion String Quartet treats these new works as if they were standards, with plenty of zest and energy. The bonus on this disc is A Fiddler's Tale Suite, featuring the instrumental highlights from Marsalis's Fiddler's Tale disc. Marsalis, playing alongside a crackerjack woodwind and horn ensemble from the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society, especially shines here. Recorded as part of Marsalis's Swing into the 21st Century series of releases in 1999, this musical gumbo may too diverse for some ears, but Marsalis fans will be begging for more. --Jason Verlinde