I Heard You Twice the First Time is a jazz album by Branford Marsalis that explores different aspects of the blues, featuring guest appearances from B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Russell Malone, Wynton Marsalis and Linda Hopkins. It peaked at number 1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart.[ Allmusic Guide] The album won the Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group.
Reception
In his AllMusic review, Scott Yanow calls the album "interesting if erratic," specifically identifying the performance by Linda Hopkins and concluding that this is an "intriguing set that is worth picking up." People praised the album, calling out the "four distinct blues-guitar styles" and the "verve and execution" of the quartet numbers as high points. Entertainment Weekly characterized Marsalis as "a commanding, even great, saxophonist of the post-hard-bop school, but a wayward conceptualist," and criticized the album as suffering from a "serious identity crisis."
Track listing
Personnel Branford Marsalis – Tenor, Alto and Soprano Saxophones, Vocals Kenny Kirkland – Piano Jeff "Tain" Watts – Drums Robert Hurst – Bass B.B. King – Guitar, Vocals Russell Malone – Guitar Reginald Veal – Bass Herlin "Homey" Riley – Drums John Lee Hooker – Guitar, Vocals Wessel Anderson – Alto Saxophone Wynton Marsalis – Trumpet David Sagher – Trombone Joe Louis Walker – Guitars Earl Gardner – Trumpet Delfeayo Marsalis – Trombone Bernard Purdie – Drums T-Blade – Guitar Linda Hopkins – Vocals Thomas Hollis – Vocals Roscoe Carroll – Vocals Carl Gordon – Vocals Charles Dutton – Vocals Dwight Anderson – Musical Consultant, Conductor (Berta, Berta)
References
External links BranfordMarsalis.com