Marcus Printup
The least publicized member of the troika of young trumpeters championed by jazz superstar Wynton Marsalis (the other two are Roy Hargrove and Nicholas Payton), Printup, 29, may be the most talented of the trio. Few twentysomething jazz composers can come up with anything as memorable as "Eclipse," a limber, sweet-and-sour strut, or the languorously bluesy "Soulful J," written for the album's pianist Marcus Roberts. And listen to Printup's improvisations: Behind his notes lie intelligence, a sense of humor and, rarer still, a palpable generosity of spirit.
Printup has surrounded himself with some winning accompanists. Tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley, 20, plays with assurance, wit and passion. And 19-year-old Jason Marsalis, youngest of the Marsalis brothers, is a drummer with an unusually rich sonic palette. As for Roberts, at 33 the album's elder statesman, he has reined in a tendency toward frenzied overplaying to become simply the best young pianist in jazz. (Blue Note)
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