Variety Is The Spice Of Braff

"Braff's somersaults in and out of keys on "Jumpin' at the Woodside," his tremolo followed by an octave drop to a low F sharp in "Liza," his little venture into atonality as he kicks off a series of exchanges with Kenny Davern in "Crazy Rhythm," are displays of daring so effortless that he seems to toss them off casually. In fact, they are marvels of conception and technique at which listeners, particularly if they are trumpet or cornet players, are likely to shake their heads. Few cornetists or trumpeters have the combination of breath control, low-register mastery and imagination to approximate Ben Webster's majestic tenor-sax declamations. Braff's tag on "Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe" is Webster come to life. Then there's the matter of swing. It is always there in his playing, sometimes hard and on top of the beat, sometimes laid back behind it. He invests each note with swing, as in his opening phrase of "Memories of You," a deliciously slow duet with pianist Bill Charlap." JazzTimes