Brandon Lee

Review of "From Within" by Ryan Keberle

Brandon Lee, From Within, Wang/Tang Studios 2007-11-26


Solid from start to finish, trumpeter Brandon Lee’s debut CD, From Within, provides the listener with an array of various jazz styles beautifully executed. As a whole, these 7 tracks form a stand-out CD with a crystal clear concept, exceptional continuity (something so often lacking in today’s recording business), and a remarkable display of trumpet playing at it’s very finest.

Reminiscent at times of a Blue Note Art Blakey or Horace Silver record or at other moments the 1960’s Miles’Quintet, From Within, has something for every jazz fan. The album begins with an original composition, “Attack of the Vibe”, which could very well become a jazz standard if given the right kind of exposure with its well-crafted yet extremely memorable melody all within an undeniable hard bop approach. This is followed with a lovely Bossa Nova entitled “Believe” written by trombonist, Michael Dease (who also contributes a number impressive trombone solos), and next with another Brandon Lee original, “Still”, with a sleek modern edge, conjuring up images of Woody Shaw and his long-time trombonist, Steve Turre. Lee’s only ballad on the disc is also an original, “Rise and Fall”, which is played with a sense maturity and a soulfulness one might not expect from this 24 year old. “Black Narcissus”, a composition by one of Lee’s favorite jazz composers, Joe Henderson, is deftly arranged by Lee who captures the essence of Joe Henderson’s music and provides a vehicle for the Tenor Saxophonist, Tommy Gardner, who shows why he is one of the brightest young stars on the instrument, with his unique combination of everything we love about Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter. The album finishes with two songs that are most definitely informed by the legendary trumpeter, Miles Davis, albeit two very different periods of Miles’ career. The first, a freely constructed and improvised piece based on a short melodic motif stated by Lee in the opening bars exhibit the fire, spontaneity, and flexibility of Miles Davis’s quintet of the 1960’s, and the second, with it’s harmon mute trumpet and straight-ahead rendition of the jazz standard, “Bye Bye Blackbird”, show signs of the Miles Davis quintet of the 1950’s with John Coltrane. Not to be overlooked is the wonderful support of Brandon’s rhythm section and sidemen.

Brandon Lee, having already spent significant time playing with the Jazz @ Lincoln Center Orchestra, Jimmy Heath Big Band, and other notable jazz luminaries, not only exhibits a mastery of the trumpet, but demonstrates his ability to execute this mastery in virtually every style of jazz from the past 50 years to the present, something not many trumpet players are capable of. He has obviously studied, in depth, the masters of his instrument. His warm sound is reminiscent of Blue Mitchell, his vibrato and superb melodic improvisations pay homage to Clifford Brown, his authority of solo development and musical pacing might remind one of Miles Davis, and his sense of humor and virtuosic technique are obviously derived from the trumpet playing of Wynton Marsalis. All of this taken into account and one can hear a fresh and original voice in Brandon Lee. A voice that fans of great jazz can look forward to hear much more from in the future.

~Ryan Keberle