 Original Soundtrack The soundtrack to Spike Lee's 1990 tale of love and loss in the jazz world is approximately as spotty as the film itself. Brilliant moments abound but are evened out by tracks that take risks and fail. "Harlem Blues" (featured here in two versions, opening and closing the album), sung by Cynda Williams, is an affecting ballad that is unrecognizable as a W.C. Handy composition. Very beautiful song. The bulk of the soundtrack is performed by the Branford Marsalis Quartet featuring Terence Blanchard on trumpet. Overall, the tunes are flashy and not without sparks, but not quite up to the Jazz Messengers-level hard bop they seem to strive for. Definitely above average '90s jazz though. The title track, on the other hand, is one of the best jazz tunes I have ever heard. Featuring an absolutely sugary-sweet melody and shuffling brush-drums, this is a tune I could listen to hundreds of times without tiring of it … even as I become more of a true jazz connoisseur, this is one which retains its freshness and quality. It's the kind of song I play for people who say they don't like jazz. Columbia really ought to put it out on one of those This is Jazz-type compilations and hook more people on the stuff. That will mark the end of the sweeping pretentiousness for this review. The lesser moments of the album are definitely "Pop Top 40" (featuring Denzel Washington giving a "funny" riff on love songs) and "Jazz Thing" (the typical Spike Lee hip-hop soundtrack inclusion attempting to infuse the album with some history). The former is somewhat charming, and works well in the film, but sounds a bit embarrassing out of context. The latter is fine enough, but suffers from the sort of early '90s optimism that makes '60s drugspeak seem attractive. I swear, one day soon we will all shake our heads at the idiotic positivity we had back then. Actually, "Jazz Thing" (performed by Gangstarr) isn't a bad song by any means, but it sticks out as awkwardly here as Arrested Development's "Revolution" does on the soundtrack to Malcolm X. Of course, six months from now I'll probable change my mind and think that the whole record flows marvelously. That's the beauty of record reviewing, you can work both sides of the fence and people have to buy it. In the end, Mo' Better Blues is a great soundtrack, but a spotty album.
Review by Janet Rhino |