Reviews
"Marsalis' soloing throughout parses vintage-sounding blues riffs and his naturally probing attitude as a player, seeking out the cerebral blues notes of his personal devising.", 3 stars out of 5 -- "Marsalis and Nelson have no problem finding common ground....Those familiar with Nelson's work will recognize his longtime harmonica player Mickey Raphael...", 4 Stars Out of 5 -- "With Marsalis Interjecting an Array of Piquant, Often Inspired Solos...", 3 stars out of 5 -- "Nelson revisits the bluesier elements of his own catalogue....It's Marsalis' album, full of soaring horn flourishes and subtle phrasing...", "Impressive without being pretentious, TWO MEN possesses an urbane strut that's perfect for jazzheads -- and their country cousins.", "Their version of Nelson's 'Night Life' has to be the swankiest ever, especially given Marsalis' breathtaking solos that conjures images of him playing from a wrought iron French Quarter balcony with his horn's bell raised to the stars.", 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "A trumpet-anchored jazz combo swings Nelson's smoothness into new directions, and he returns the favor by helping bandleader Wynton Marsalis loosen up...", 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "Marsalis chills out, adding a one-note trumpet solo on 'That's All' that's funny and awesome.", 3 stars out of 5 -- "Nelson is an ideal interpreter of these 10 old jazz and blues standards made famous by Jimmy Reed, Louis Jordan and more, especially when joined by trumpeter and jazz educationalist Marsalis and band.", "It feels like a long-overdue summit meeting. These renditions of classics -- including some of Willie's own -- sound completely natural...", "Their sensibility is New Orleans by way of Texas and Tin Pan Alley -- with Marsalis' usual horn-fronted band doing the driving and Nelson settling in perfectly with his offbeat vocal phrasing."
