Wynton Marsalis - The Midnight Blues

The Midnight Blues is the fifth installment in his ongoing Standard Time series, where he offers his own interpretations of classic American pop, jazz and blues songs. Supported by pianist Eric Reed, bassist Reginald Veal and drummer Lewis Nash, as well as a 31-piece string orchestra, he runs through a number of standards -- "The Party's Over," "It Never Entered My Mind," "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" and "My Man's Gone Now" -- which are arranged and conducted by Bob Freedman, Marsalis' longtime collaborator. The album falls somewhere between Hot House Flowers and one of the early volumes of Standard Time, as it has a lush sound but remains quite idiosyncratic and quietly adventurous in its arrangements. The result is a lovely, albeit minor, addition to Marsalis' rich catalog. - by Leo Stanley, AMG

Artist: Wynton Marsalis
Album: The Midnight Blues (Standard Time Vol. 5)
Year: 1998
Label: Columbia
Runtime: 76:01

Tracks:
1.  The Party's Over (Betty Comden/Adolp Green/Jule Styne) 6:06
2.  You´re Blasé (Ord Hamilton / Bruce Sievier) 6:41
3.  After You've Gone (Henry Creamer/Turner Layton) 5:46
4.  Glad To Be Unhappy (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) 7:47
5.  It Never Entered My Mind (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) 6:09
6.  Baby, Won't You Please Come Home (Charles Warfield/Clarence Williams) 5:28
7.  I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne) 5:59
8.  I Got Lost In Her Arms (Irving Berlin) 5:08
9.  Ballad of The Sad Young Men (Fran Landesman/Thomas Wolf) 5:50
10.  Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year (Frank Loesser) 4:32
11.  My Man's Gone Now (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin/Dubose Heyward/Dorothy Heyward) 4:37
12.  The Midnight Blues (Wynton Marsalis) 11:52

Personnel:
Wynton Marsalis (Trumpet)
Eric Reed (Piano)
Reginald Veal (Double Bass)
Lewis Nash (Drums)
Robert Freedman (Arranged, Conducted)