I first saw Branford Marsalis when I was in college, before I even started writing A&A. I want to say it was the Trio Jeepy tour, but in any case I do know that it was at the "old" Blue Note in Columbia, Mo., and my now wife and I sat in the creaky balcony as part of a packed house (400+). As inventive as his albums are, the show was another level of creativity.

Branford Marsalis The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul (Sony Masterworks)

Not long after that, he served as Jay Leno's first band leader, and those three years of purgatory seem to have set him up to be the musical gadfly that he's been ever since. Play with the Grateful Dead? He played with Sting in the 80s, so why not?. Record classical and hip-hop albums along with his kinetic jazz? Sure. Score movies and plays, write orchestral pieces and generally live a life all artists dream of? Yes.

Oh, and he moved to Durham, N.C., right before I left that lovely locale. So I've always imagined a connection between us, although that is a complete fantasy. I blame Marsalis, though, as his music inspires that fantasy.

This is the first recording by his quartet since 2011, and it's only the second with this lineup. What's always impressed me about Marsalis is the generosity he affords his band. He records songs they write (and some old favorites) and gives them space to create. This is even more true live, of course, but even his recorded albums have a feeling that anything might happen.

The name of the project tends to inform the sound of the album. The trios and quartets are for jazz, and while Marsalis isn't beholden to any particular sound, it's safe to say that he has been heavily influenced by John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman and other bop post-grads. Like other Quartet albums, this set is propulsive, highly melodic and almost effortlessly virtuosic. It's clear that these guys really like playing with and off each other. The vibrant feel of this album speaks for itself.

Revolutionary? No. If you're a fan of Marsalis, particularly his Quartet, this album will satisfy deeply. It's hard to imagine a jazz fan who is unfamiliar with the name Marsalis (I'm also a monster fan of Delfeayo, Branford's younger brother who wields a mean trombone), given the generations of talent produced by that family. This review isn't about giving Branford Marsalis any additional press, as he surely doesn't need any. This review is about me acknowledging the fantasy that we are connected--a fantasy made real every time I hear him play. That's the magic of music, and it's why I have been writing A&A for more than 25 years. Few artists have been as curious and creative as Marsalis, and fewer still have remained vital for decades. At this point, something new from Marsalis is simply a cause for celebration. So let's celebrate!

Jon Worley