WYNTON MARSALIS - The Majesty of the Blues (1989) APE (image+.cue), lossless

This is a good album that should have been great. Two lengthy originals ("The Majesty of the Blues" and "Hickory Dickory Dock") find Wynton Marsalis displaying his rapidly developing writing skills, which were being prodded at the time by Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus. His sextet with pianist Marcus Roberts, tenorman Todd Williams, and altoist Wes Anderson is in outstanding form on these performances. However, the three-part "New Orleans Function" has two fatal flaws. Marsalis returned to his New Orleans heritage by welcoming the erratic clarinetist Dr. Michael White, veteran banjoist Danny Barker, trombonist Freddie Lonzo, and trumpeter Teddy Riley as guests. Unfortunately, an endless "Sermon" about jazz, written by Stanley Crouch and narrated by Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr., drones on for 16 minutes and is unspeakably pompous, killing the momentum for the record. In addition, the closing Dixieland blues is led by the frequently faltering Teddy Riley (while Marsalis plays second trumpet) and is much too ragged to have been released. So, the main reason to acquire this album is for the first two pieces. by Scott Yanow  
Tracklist 
1    The Majesty Of The Blues (The Puheeman Strut)    15:06
2    Hickory Dickory Dock    9:07
The New Orleans Function
3    The Death Of Jazz 12:39
Banjo – Danny Barker
Clarinet – Dr. Michael White
Trombone – Freddie Lonzo
Trumpet [1st] – Teddy Riley
Trumpet [2nd], Other [Plunger Mute] – Wynton
4    Premature Autopsies (Sermon) 16:23
Banjo – Danny Barker
Clarinet – Dr. Michael White
Narrator [Sermon] – Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Jr.
Trombone – Freddie Lonzo
Trumpet [1st] – Teddy Riley
Trumpet [2nd], Other [Plunger mute] – Wynton
Written-By [Sermon] – Stanley Crouch
5    Oh, But On The Third Day (Happy Feet Blues) 6:45
Banjo – Danny Barker
Clarinet – Dr. Michael White
Trombone – Freddie Lonzo
Trumpet [1st] – Teddy Riley
Trumpet [2nd], Other [Plunger Mute] – Wynton
Credits :
Alto Saxophone [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Wes Anderson
 Bass [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Reginald Veal
Cover [Art] – Henri Matisse
Drums [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Herlin Riley
 Ensemble – The Wynton Marsalis Sextet
Piano [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Marcus Roberts
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Todd Williams
Trumpet [The Wynton Marsalis Sextet] – Wynton Marsalis