Loved Ones is a jazz duo album by Ellis Marsalis and Branford Marsalis. Originally conceived as Ellis's solo record of songs about "unforgettable women," it became a duo project based on his realization that "Branford would sound really good on some of (the songs).".[3] The album reached Number 5 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart.[1]
In his AllMusic review, Scott Yanow calls the set "pleasing and thoughtful if not quite essential," noting that Branford's contributions "sometimes (liven) up the selections although mostly playing a subsidiary role to his father."[1] Don Heckman, writing in the Los Angeles Times, called the recording "one of the most appealing CDs of the year," citing "the warm camaraderie of the father-son musical connection."[2]
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