JAZZ / BLUES : The Stories of One Marsalis

Is the blues about sadness and hard times? Not according to Branford Marsalis, whose latest album, “I Heard You Twice The First Time,” is steeped in the venerable tradition.

“Doing the blues is telling a great story,” said the 32-year-old saxophonist, composer and leader of “The Tonight Show” band earlier this week during a phone call from his dressing room at NBC studios in Burbank.

“It’s about the inevitable triumph over adversity. That’s what makes oppressed people unique among mankind. Despite overwhelming oppression, segregation and persecution, these people have come up with amazing stories, a celebration of life. They’re saying ‘I’m above the oppression, above the injustice.’ ”

The new album, with such original titles as “Brother Trying To Catch A Cab (On the East Side) Blues” and “Simi Valley Blues,” includes vocals from B.B. King, John Lee Hooker and Linda Hopkins (who appears with Marsalis on Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center). Marsalis says that because of the lyrics on some of the album’s cuts, critics think he’s taken a political turn.

“I have other albums that are far more political than this one. (His previous release) ‘The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born’ is much more political. But just because this one has words, the meaning’s much easier to get. Good jazz musicians tell stories all the time. It’s just that the stories involve notes rather than words.”

“Now there are Jackie Collins-type words and Bill Shakespeare-type words, and a lot of people have a tough time reading Shakespeare because of the way he uses language. That’s the way we play music, like Shakespeare uses words.”

Since Marsalis relocated to Los Angeles to do “The Tonight Show,” after 11 years in New York, area jazz fans have had the chance to catch the saxophonist spinning sonnets at local clubs, either as a leader or while sitting in with other members of his “Tonight Show” band. But that doesn’t mean he’s happy with the Southern California scene.

“There is no club scene here,” he asserts. “In New York, you have places where people come to hear the music. Here, except for Catalina (Bar & Grill in Hollywood), people come in because it’s cool to be there. They want to be seen watching jazz music; they want to use it as their background noise.”

“We don’t need the audience,” he continues. “We play where we want to play. People call us arrogant for that, but we have big enough shoulders to accept it. “

Marsalis says he’ll continue working concerts and small clubs, despite his busy schedule with “The Tonight Show.” “When you make a decision to become a jazz musician, you do it because you love the music. It doesn’t end when you get a job. L.A. is inundated with former jazz musicians who no longer play that well. I don’t want to become one of them.”

Who: Branford Marsalis.

When: Saturday, Nov. 21, at 8 p.m. With singer Linda Hopkins, guitarist Russell Malone and others.

Where: Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa.

Whereabouts: San Diego (I-405) Freeway to Bristol Street exit. North to Town Center Drive. (Center is one block east of South Coast Plaza.)

Wherewithal: $16 to $34.

Where to call: (714) 556-2787.