Can an instrumental piece tell a story? Can it give lessons and guidance; can it console, uplift, and speak, eloquently, about the human condition? In the hands of a master like Geno Marriott, it certainly can. Marriott spins tales with his soprano saxophone — each solo, each phrase, and each release is a complete thought, with a finely-wrought opening and a satisfying conclusion. He’s an entertainer and a physical performer, ready to entertain crowds and spread good feelings through his performances. Because he’s emotionally forthright, his songs are full of moments of joy, illumination, and sudden revelation; because he’s courageous, he’s not afraid to channel a little turbulence, too. Smooth jazz is the style, and he’s an exemplar indeed, but if you call him a short-story writer, you won’t be too far off the mark.
Consider “Take The Time; Smell The Roses,” the saxman’s newest single. It’s not inaccurate to describe it as three minutes of pure serenity, generated by a woodwind artist whose tone is as pure and sweet as a spring wind. It’s perfectly possible to appreciate the track like that, too. You can let it wash over you, soothe you, and ease you into a relaxed state of mind.
But that isn’t Geno Marriott’s reason for playing; not exactly, anyway. Upon closer inspection, Marriott’s playing is immensely dynamic. It starts coy and suggestive, becomes full-bodied and lush as the song progresses, hanging in the air like a question, and echoes and reverberates long after the music stops. He’s making a sonic argument — encouraging you to slow down, appreciate the beauty of the world around you, and hear the grace notes of life as it passes by. That’s the sort of thing he’s always done with The Spirit Of Jazz, his ensemble, and it’s what has recommended him to open for artists working in many styles, including Boney James, Dave Koz, Julian Vaughn, and Bill Medley from the Righteous Brothers.
As those who’ve seen him in concert know well, Geno Marriott accompanies his priceless tone with a million-dollar smile. He puts it on display in the warm, gorgeous clip for the single, and he underscores the song’s theme by beaming, widely, from the midst of a rosebush in bloom. He takes his soprano sax to a lakeside pier and blows as the water ripples behind him; he strides through a forest grove; he lets the strains echo around a beautiful arboretum. Marriott is a man on the move, chasing beauty and experience wherever he finds it and always looking at the world through fresh eyes.
