ALBUM REVIEWS

WYNTON & ELLIS MARSALIS

“Joe Cool’s Blues”

Columbia

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This concept album, by the trumpeter and his piano-playing father, will touch many listeners.

Using originals by Wynton Marsalis and tunes by the late Vince Guaraldi--which were all in some form included in the soundtrack for the “Peanuts” TV show--the leaders evoke not only images of Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy and Snoopy, but also allow the listener to remember the carefree feeling of childhood.

The program is split, with the senior Marsalis’ trio playing Guaraldi’s numbers while his son’s septet contributes the originals; the Marsalises don’t perform together. The pianist’s bright touch and relaxed sense of swing, recalling the gentler side of Oscar Peterson, are apropos for such numbers as the subtle blues “Peppermint Patty,” “Oh, Good Grief!,” a spirited medium-tempo excursion, and “Pebble Beach,” which has an air of an Antonio Carlos Jobim song about it.

Tunes from Wynton Marsalis explore a wider range of moods, from “On Peanuts Playground,” underpinned by a snazzy 5/4 beat that’s deftly accented by drummer Herlin Riley’s brushes, to the 1920s stance of “Wright Brothers Rag” and the decidedly modern groove of the fleet and uplifting “Buggy Ride.” Lyrical solos from the crew abound; high points include Wynton Marsalis’ muted warmth on “Buggy Ride,” altoist Wessel Anderson’s glowing, cabernet-colored tone on “Playground” and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon’s Cheshire cat growl on several numbers.

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