Marcus Printup - Nocturnal Traces (1998)

Since what seem like ages-ago sightings at the Monk Competition, and later at the Jacksonville Jazz Festival, where he played at the side of the stage in deference to some fluffy smooth jazz outfit scheduled to follow his band, trumpeter Marcus Printup's growth arc has been impressive. Last time out he was paying homage to Freddie Hubbard, with fellow Blue Noter Tim Hagans. This time, save for the smoldering “Freddie's Inferno”, in tribute to the master, it's all about Marcus. The band is his regular crew, including Kevin Bales on piano, Ricky Ravelo on bass, and Woody Williams on drums. The comfort level Printup feels is obvious from the jump.

Throughout this disc there is a palpable joy and fatness in his sound, for which one need listen no further than his buoyant treatment of "Have You Met Miss Jones?" The program strikes a fine balance between standards and Printup's tunes, yet some of his most telling statements are made on the former. Check out his soulful version of "Black Coffee," for example, with trumpet tone sufficiently broadened to address the blue nuances of the familiar tune. Throughout, Marcus Printup is bubbling with energy and controlled passion, and a tip of the hat also to his rompin' stompin' drummer, Williams, who has lit many a bandstand down Atlanta way. ~ by Willard Jenkins, JazzTimes.

Blue Note, CDP 7243 4 93676 2 3, 1998

Recorded 24^th & 25^th January, 1998 to Analog 2-Track At Avatar Studio C, New York, NY

Musicians:

Marcus Printup - Trumpet

Kevin Bales - Piano

Ricky Ravelo - Bass

Woody Williams - Drums

Tracks:

01. Woody's Beat {Marcus Printup} (7:16)

02. Have You Met Miss Jones {Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers} (5:55)

03. Shertzing Along {Marcus Printup} (6:08)

04. Body And Soul {Frank Eyton, Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour} (5:19)

05. Black Coffee {Sonny Burke, Paul Francis Webster} (7:02)

06. Pier Pressure {Marcus Printup} (6:07)

07. Nocturnal Traces {Marcus Printup} (6:13)

08. Ain't Misbehavin' {Harry Brooks, Andy Razaf, Fats Waller} (5:41)

09. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? {Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Michel Legrand} (5:42)

10. Freddie's Inferno {Marcus Printup} (4:07)

Credits:

Producer - Bob Belden, Marcus Printup

Recording Engineer - Jim Anderson

Assistant Engineer - Aya Takemura

Mastering Engineer - Allan Tucker

Photography - Jimmy Katz, Lisa Peardon

Design - Karen Thomas, Burton Yount

Liner Notes - Herb Wong

Total Time: 59:30

In this bright and accessible effort from one of the best young trumpeters on the scene, Printup mixes up originals with standards. The fact that his tunes complement works by Rodgers & Hart ("Have You Met Miss Jones") and Fats Waller ("Ain't Misbehavin'") so well should key you in to the fact that he is a bit of a traditionalist. With his quartet of Kevin Bales on piano, Ricky Ravelo on bass, and Woody Williams on drums, Printup lays down some fine exercises in samba ("Shertzing Along") and bop ("Pier Pressure"). There is plenty of fine work here. ~ by Tim Sheridan, AMG.