Branford Marsalis delights Descanso crowd
Josh Kleinbaum
When Branford Marsalis took the stage at the main lawn at Descanso
Gardens Thursday night, he paused to take in the surroundings.
“This is beautiful,” Marsalis said. “If I knew this was here when
I lived [in Los Angeles], I probably would’ve pitched a tent.”
For the next 90 minutes, Marsalis and his quartet thrilled an
intimate audience with breathtaking jazz, from the fast-paced,
roaring beat of “Mr. J.J. (J.J. Was His Name)” to open the set, to
the lovely, emotional ballad “Eternal,” a love song written for his
wife.
With Marsalis’ quartet providing the score and the gardens’
nightlife providing the lyrics, Descanso’s first foray into big-time
music came off without a hitch, providing an enchanting, romantic
evening for the patrons gathered in front of the stage on blankets
and lawn chairs.
For $35 to $40, music lovers were treated to world-class jazz in
the most intimate of settings. In between songs, Marsalis mixed in
some of the wit that earned him the job of Jay Leno’s first musical
director on “The Tonight Show.” Marvin “Smitty” Smith, Leno’s
drummer, even sat in on one song.
When Descanso Gardens officials planned the Music and Moonlight
series, they hoped the concerts would expand Descanso’s reach,
introducing new audiences to the garden. Thursday, they got at least
one new fan in Marsalis. With more concerts like this, they should
not have a problem getting more.