SHADES OF BLUE

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

The J Master renewed my faith in jazz music," trumpeter Wynton Marsalis writes in his backstage-with-the-band chronicle, Sweet Swing Blues on the Road. "In 1984 half of my first band left to play rock music. I thought maybe no one with that real fire and talent in our generation wanted to play jazz--not enough external rewards for swinging. Then I called the J Master...When he plays, the entire history of jazz piano resonates. He is a true original, a real jazzman, not afraid to swing and play the blues with authority, intelligence, abandon and soul. Yes, with soul."

"The J Master" is Marsalis' respectfully affectionate nickname for pianist Marcus Roberts. Anyone who listens to Roberts' two new albums, due out this week, Portraits in Blue (featuring a re-examination of George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, as well as some other, shorter pieces) and Time and Circumstance (a theme album of Roberts' original songs), will hear that mastery made manifest. By taking on what is arguably Gershwin's best composition and at the same time releasing what is his most satisfying and sophisticated record of his own compositions, Roberts demonstrates his technical virtuosity and passionate intelligence in impressive fashion. And yes, with soul.

Roberts, 32, began showing indications of greatness at a young age. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, and blind since age five, when cataracts destroyed his vision, he began taking piano lessons at 12, learning how to read music through Braille. He was a quick study. When Roberts was 22, Marsalis asked him to join his band; and at 25 he won first prize in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. His subsequent career as a recording artist also met with early success--he is the first musician to have had his first three albums reach No. 1 on Billboard's traditional-jazz chart.

Why is he now releasing two albums at once? Roberts seems to be following in the footsteps of his friend and mentor, Marsalis, who released a jazz and a classical album at the same time in 1982. Marsalis went on to secure a reputation as a renaissance man who could handle material from many genres; Roberts' double-barreled release should win him similar accolades.

Roberts has recorded formidable material before--on his 1991 CD, Three Giants, he covered works by Jelly Roll Morton, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk. But on Portraits in Blue he takes on his biggest musical challenge by remaking material that is even more familiar and sacrosanct to many listeners. Says Roberts: "Rhapsody in Blue is a piece everyone knows, so the changes you hear, if done right, can give you some idea of the power of jazz music. I wanted to try and bring the piece up to date without sacrificing its basic nature and personality." Because Rhapsody in Blue is a classical piece written before Louis Armstrong taught the world to swing, Roberts modified his usual improvisational approach: "Jazz is based on the premise of using your personal identity to manipulate your knowledge and feeling into something original. With classical you really can't take liberties with the material without careful planning."

On Portraits in Blue, Roberts gives Gershwin's material the full post-Armstrong treatment; simply put, he makes it swing. Even the famous opening--the skyward clarinet glissando--is given a new twist. Roberts instead starts the piece with what he calls "a series of improvised statements," the first being the forlorn sound of a single banjo. Gershwin's 1920s piano rolls have set a high standard for pianists to follow, but Roberts' performance on this CD adds some graceful verve. His fleet-fingered improvisations--constant, probing, thoughtful--provide color to an already multihued work without seeming merely ornamental. After hearing Roberts, we sense that there are many more shades of blue than we previously imagined.

Roberts creates his very own classic with Time and Circumstance, a theme album with emotional echoes of jazz saxophonist John Coltrane's A Love Supreme, another classic exploration of the nature and meaning of love. This new CD, without words, tells the story of two lovers who meet, suffer an unspecified loss--it could be a child, it could be some other tragedy--and use that pain to renew their relationship. The songs may be elegiac and romantic, but Roberts and his trio--Wynton's brother Jason Marsalis on drums and David Grossman on bass--never trade emotional complexity for easy sentiment. Accordingly, Time and Circumstance is one of those rare CDs whose liner notes--in which Roberts explains each song's intricate themes--add substantially to the understanding of the music.

Roberts has explored both Gershwin and love in the past--notably on his previous CD, the politely sedate Gershwin for Lovers. But Time and Circumstance contains a message that goes beyond romance. This music "speaks to what jazz is all about," says Roberts. "It helps musicians to see an attitude of affirmation and acceptance, never losing the ability to fight toward a higher level of understanding and engagement in public life." On both of his smart new albums, Roberts takes listeners to that higher level. And always with soul.

--Reported by David E. Thigpen/New York

With reporting by David E. Thigpen/New York