Harry Connick Jr. & Branford Marsalis National Anthem

[TMadness1013]

Monday Night Football

NY Giants vs. New Orleans Saints

New Orleans natives and music superstars HARRY CONNICK, JR and BRANFORD MARSALIS will perform the national anthem on piano and saxophone. IRVIN MAYFIELD, the famed New Orleans jazz trumpeter and cultural ambassador for the city, will perform "America the Beautiful."


Enjoy :D

[Ralph Grant]

I'm looking forward to seeing how they do the National Anthem on Monday! Its not everyday you get a saxophonist doing the anthem. A few years back Kevin Carter, defensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams butchered it. I think that was the first time he had picked up his horn since high school.

I downloaded the new Connick/Brandford CD "Occasion" a few weeks back. Its not bad. The first song (Brown World) begins with a really nice piano riff with some good saxophone riffs making you think the album is going to be very different but it pretty much ends there. Two of the tunes (Steve Lacy and Chanson Du Vieux Carre) have very nice simple melodies by Branford on Soprano but they leave you anticipating that the tunes will take you somewhere more complex but never do. (Remember the Tarpon) was my favorite tune on the CD. It seemed to have the most Branford soul on the sax parts. Most of the solo's by Branford on the other tracks seem like they may have been composed for him by Harry. They were almost "Piano Like" for lack of a better description. I would recommend the album but in my opinioin it is far from essential jazz composition and performance.

[jazzbluescat]

Thanks for the heads up, Ralph.

I'd still like to catch the Connick/Marsalis version of the SSB, but I've got 'small engine repair' class tonight. Wonder how they'll do it? Harry takes the first 16, Branford the bridge, they both do the last 8? Maybe Harry'll do the whole tune, Branford'll blow on the first 16, Harry'll do the bridge, both take the last 8 out, with Branford blowing a funky cadenza? just wondering

[saxfree]

Looks like the anthem didn't make it to the TV broadcast (at least where I'm at). Does anyone know where I can get a recording of it, I'd still like to hear how they did it.

[groovesax]

They showed it on ESPN. It was pretty understated and tasteful. Harry did vocals and Brandford comp'ed on soprano. Branford threw in a couple nice blusey comps, and a couple of the obligatory lines like the trumpet part following the rocket's red glare. Nothing special IMHO. On the other hand, Irvin Mayfield's rendition of America the Beautiful was a bit more inspired. Again, tasteful and a bit understated, but with some nice stuff thrown in, like when he briefly quoted Ray Charles' phrasing to the same song. Irvin has a beautiful sound on trumpet.

[jazzbluescat]

It'd be OK with me if they made America The Beautiful the nat anthem.

Branford did it on soprano, eh, on national tv ESPN. Look out Kenny G.

[JMac]

It'd be OK with me if they made America The Beautiful the nat anthem. :a-run:
Them's fightin' werds in mah neck of the woods- my Grandma gew up one block off of Fort Street (as in the street that leads to Ft. McHenry) in Baltimore. If it is ever changed - I'd sooner have Mr. Guthrie's "This Land is My Land..."- written in response to 'America the Beautiful'.

Maybe you can use it for your confederate national anthem when the south rises again :D .

[saxstuff]

:a-run:
Them's fightin' werds in mah neck of the woods- my Grandma gew up one block off of Fort Street (as in the street that leads to Ft. McHenry) in Baltimore. If it is ever changed - I'd sooner have Mr. Guthrie's "This Land is My Land..."- written in response to 'America the Beautiful'.

Maybe you can use it for your confederate national anthem when the south rises again :D .:? Not that I'm advocating changing the national anthem, but what could you possibly find objectionable about "America the Beautiful?".

Its author, Katharine Lee Bates, was a Yankee, from Falmouth, Massachusetts. The original poem was written as she sat atop Pikes Peak.

I lived in the Bal'mer area as a teen, so I can understand the loyalty to Ft. McHenry and Francis Scott Key. But really, give "America the Beautiful" its due.

I guess if you're an atheist...

[JMac]

Never said there was anything objectionable with America the Beautiful - only that I'd prefer This Land is My Land. IMO - only Ray Charles should be able to sing ATB, and he, well.... :cry: .

I am not an atheist, nor is our country a theocracy. Are you implying that only atheists would object to ATB? What about Wiccans, Zoroastrians, agnostics, animists, and secular humanists? Aren’t they welcome in America, too? (Please note I excluded Scientologists)

[saxstuff]

I simply meant that the only reason I could imagine for anyone objecting to "America the Beautiful" was if they didn't believe in God.

[jazzbluescat]

I simply meant that the only reason I could imagine for anyone objecting to "America the Beautiful" was if they didn't believe in God.

The atheist and agnostics can rest that bar, or two. Or just go to a bar.

[Ralph Grant]

Don't even get started on the subject of Church and State etc. Nothing hacks me off more than politicians who apparently have too dang much free time spending my tax dollars hashing over banning saying the "Pledge of Allegiance" in school etc. Millions of kids said it for a hundred years in this country and it didn't seem to be an issue. But now..... Its a terrible challenge that needs our attention!

I think everyone that even voted or gave that topic consideration should be tossed off of capital hill. As if there aren't more important challenges going on in our country like Foreign Policy, Healthcare, etc.......