MUSIC EVOLUTION includes a hidden, instrumental track after track 16.
Personnel includes: Branford Marsalis (vocals, tenor saxophone, saxophone, programming); Frank McComb (vocals, keyboards); 50 Styles "The Unknown Soldier," Tess, G.U.R.U. (vocals); Laurence Fishburne (spoken vocals); David Sanborn (alto saxophone); Russell Gunn (trumpet); John Touchy, Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone); Carol Webb Sortomme (concertmaster); Barry Finclair, John Pintavalle (violin); Sue Pray (viola); Richard Locker (cello); Joey Calderazzo (piano, keyboards); L. Carl Burnett (guitar); Reginald Veal, Ben Wolfe (acoustic bass); Reggie Washington, Will Lee (bass); Rocky Bryant (drums, percussion, programming); Mino Cinelu (percussion); Matthew Backer (programming); Rob "Wacko!" Hunter (background vocals); DJ Apollo.
Producers: Branford Marsalis, L. Carl Burnett, Rob "Wacko!" Hunter.
Recorded at Sound On Sound Studios and Manhattan Center Studios, New York, New York.
On MUSIC EVOLUTION, Buckshot LeFonque saxophonist and bandleader Branford Marsalis has produced another slick combination of hip-hop and jazz, heavy on the slick, light on the hip-hop, tasty on the jazz. On the title cut, the band maintains the Marsalis family tradition of educating listeners, pointing out the historical lineage of the music. The funk quotient is satisfied by "James Brown (Part I & II)," while the ballad "Another Day" contains vocal nods to Stevie Wonder and a bass line and soprano sax filigree similar to Stings's "Englishman In New York."
The Stevie Wonder influence crops up again on "Better Than I Am," which recalls Wonder's "All In Love Is Fair." "Weary With Toil" has echoes of Marcus Miller's moody synthesiser work with Miles Davis circa TUTU. And "Phoenix" is a big pop ballad a la Whitney or Celine. From rap to R&B to jazzy funk, Buckshot LeFonque's got it all, though sometimes one wishes that a great instrumentalist like Branford Marsalis would just do what he does best and play his saxophone. Check out his great blowing on the unlisted instrumental that closes the album.

• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Pop

As described in our Privacy Policy, we collect personal information from your interactions with us and our website, including through cookies and similar technologies. We may also share this personal information with third parties, including advertising partners. We do this in order to show you ads on other websites that are more relevant to your interests and for other reasons outlined in our privacy policy.

Sharing of personal information for targeted advertising based on your interaction on different websites may be considered "sales", "sharing", or "targeted advertising" under certain U.S. state privacy laws. Depending on where you live, you may have the right to opt out of these activities. If you would like to exercise this opt-out right, please follow the instructions below.

If you visit our website with the Global Privacy Control opt-out preference signal enabled, depending on where you are, we will treat this as a request to opt-out of activity that may be considered a “sale” or “sharing” of personal information or other uses that may be considered targeted advertising for the device and browser you used to visit our website.