Wynton Marsalis

Source

• Born: 18 October 1961
• Birthplace: New Orleans, Louisiana
• Best Known As: The trumpeter in the Marsalis jazz family

Wynton Marsalis was one of the best-known jazz musicians of the 1980s and 1990s. A trumpet prodigy from New Orleans, Marsalis joined Art Blakey's famous band the Jazz Messengers while still a teenager. Throughout the 1980s he led several jazz bands of his own, and then became artistic director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center program in New York. At the same time Marsalis maintained a highly successful classical music career; in 1983 he won both classical and jazz Grammy Awards, becoming the first recording artist ever to accomplish that feat. In 1997 he won the Pulitzer Prize in music for his composition Blood On the Fields. Marsalis's extreme popularity and outspoken style have made him a somewhat controversial figure in jazz circles; Marsalis is known as a jazz purist, rejecting fusion and "free" jazz in favor of more traditional jazz and bop. This puts him somewhat at odds with his brother Branford, a saxophonist who has played with rock star Sting and once formed a house band for TV's The Tonight Show.

Other musicians in the Marsalis family include Wynton's father Ellis Marsalis (piano) and brother Delfeayo (trombone).

For more information on Wynton Marsalis, visit Britannica.com.

(b New Orleans, la, 18 Oct 1961). American trumpeter. Trained as a classical musician, he performed with the New Orleans PO when he was 14. He studied at the Juilliard School and in 1980 joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. The followi ng year he toured with Herbie Hancock and in 1982 formed his own quintet. In 1984 he became the first musician to win Grammy awards for both a jazz and a classical recording. He is admired for his technique, his improvisational ability and the emotional depth of his playing.

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Successful jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis (born 1961) is America's top modern purist of the genre. Influenced by the jazz artists from the early 1900s through the 1960s and annoyed with the music labeled "jazz" in the 1970s, Marsalis took on the mission of not only creating "true" jazz, but teaching its definition as well.

Asuccessful jazz and classical musician and composer, Marsalis had won more than eight Grammy awards and released over 30 albums in both genres by the late 1990s. In 1997, he received the first Pulitzer Prize ever awarded for nonclassical music. He also co-founded and directed the ground-breaking jazz program at New York's Lincoln Center, and became an influential jazz educator for America's youth.

Marsalis was born into a family of musicians on October 18, 1961, in New Orleans. His father, Ellis Marsalis, played piano and worked as a jazz improvisation instructor at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. Before dedicating her life to raising her six sons, Dolores Marsalis sang in jazz bands. The second eldest child, Wynton's older brother Branford set the stage as the family's first musical prodigy. Branford Marsalis played both clarinet and piano by the time he entered the second grade, and eventually became a professional saxophonist.

Wynton Marsalis didn't follow his brother's lead quite as diligently, however. When he was six years old, his father played with Al Hirt, who gave the young Marsalis one of his old trumpets. Wynton Marsalis made his performing debut at the tender age of seven when he played "The Marine Hymn" at the Xavier Junior School of Music. As a child, Marsalis didn't take practicing the trumpet very seriously. He spent more time with his school work, playing basketball, and participating in Boy Scout activities.

Discovered Influences in Two Genres

When Marsalis was 12, his family moved from Kenner, Louisiana, to New Orleans. When he listened to a recording by jazz trumpeter Clifford Brown, he was moved to take his trumpet seriously. "I didn't know someone could play a trumpet like that," Marsalis later told Mitchell Seidel in Down Beat. "It was unbelievable." Soon after, a college student gave Marsalis an album by classical trumpet player Maurice Andre, which also sparked his interest in classical music.

Marsalis began taking lessons from John Longo in New Orleans, who had an interest in both genres, as well. "I hardly ever even paid him," Marsalis recalled to Howard Mandell in Down Beat, "and he used to give me two-and three-hour lessons, never looking at the clock."

Marsalis attended Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, where he graduated with a 3.98 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. He became a National Merit Scholarship finalist and received scholarship offers from Yale University, among other prestigious schools. He also attended the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts. At the age of 14, he won a Louisiana youth competition. This award granted him the opportunity to perform with the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra as a featured soloist.

During his high school years, he played a variety of music with a number of groups, including first trumpet with the New Orleans Civic Orchestra, the New Orleans Brass Quintet, an a teenage funk group called the Creators, along with his brother Branford. In 1977, Marsalis won the "Most Outstanding Musician Award" at the Eastern Music Festival in North Carolina.

Started Spreading the News

He went on to study music at the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood in Massachusetts, where he received their Harvey Shapiro Award for the outstanding brass player. He turned down the scholarship offers from Ivy League schools to attend New York's Juilliard School of Music on full scholarship. While in school, he played with the Brooklyn Philharmonia and the Mexico City Symphony. He supported himself with a position in the pit band for Sweeney Todd on Broadway.

In 1980, Art Blakey asked Marsalis to spend the summer touring with his Jazz Messengers. His performances began to attract national attention, and he eventually became the band's musical director. While on the road with Blakey, Marsalis decided to change his image and began wearing suits to his performances. "For us, it was a statement of seriousness," Marsalis told Howard Reich in Down Beat. "We come out here, we try to entertain our audience and play, and we want to look good so they can feel good."

The following year, Marsalis decided to leave Juilliard to continue his education on the road. He played with Blakey and received an offer to tour with Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. quartet. Marsalis jumped at the chance, as the V.S.O.P. included bassist Ron Carter and drummer Tony Williams, who had both played with Miles Davis. "I knew he was only 19, just on the scene-it's a lot to put on somebody," Hancock told Steve Bloom in Rolling Stone. "But then I realized if we don't hand down some of this stuff that happened with Miles, it'll just die when we die."

Warmed up Career

Marsalis performed throughout the United States and Japan with the V.S.O.P. and played on the double album Quartet. The increased attention led to an unprecedented recording contract with Columbia Records for both jazz and classical music. He released his self-titled debut album as a leader in 1981. Later that year, he formed his own jazz band with his brother Branford, Kenny Kirkland, Jeff Watts, and bassists Phil Bowler and Ray Drummond. His success didn't go unnoticed in his hometown, either. New Orleans Mayor Ernest Morial proclaimed a Wynton Marsalis Day in February of 1982.

Wynton Marsalis recorded one side of an album with his father Ellis and Branford Marsalis, called For Fathers and Sons. The other side was recorded by saxophonist Chico Freeman and his father Von Freeman. In 1983, Marsalis released jazz and classical LPS simultaneously. The jazz record, Think of One, marked the debut of his jazz quintet and sold nearly 200,000 copies, about ten times what was considered a successful jazz album. The recording and Marsalis received many comparisons to Miles Davis and other musicians of the 1960s. "We don't reclaim music from the 1960s; music is a continuous thing," Marsalis explained to Mandell in Down Beat. "We're just trying to play what we hear as the logical extension. … A tree's got to have roots."

He recorded his classical debut, Trumpet Concertos, in London with Raymond Leppard and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1984, Marsalis set another precedent by becoming the first artist to be nominated or win two Grammy awards in two categories during the same year.

Big Sounds in the Big Apple

He won another Grammy award in 1987 for his album Marsalis Standard Time Vol. 1. During the same year, he co-founded the Jazz at Lincoln Center program in New York City. When the program began, Marsalis became the artistic director for the eleven-month season. As part of his contract, he had to compose one piece of music for each year. Despite his new position, he continued to record and tour in both jazz and classical music.

He released Majesty of the Blues in 1989 and The Resolution of Romance in 1990. He dedicated the latter to his mother, and it included contributions from his father Ellis and his brother Delfeayo. "If you are really dealing with music, you are trying to elevate consciousness about romance," Marsalis explained to Dave Helland in Down Beat. "Music is so closely tied up with sex and sensuality that when you are dealing with music, you are trying to enter the world of that experience, trying to address the richness of the interaction between a man and a woman, not its lowest reduction."

Marsalis' study of New Orleans styles resulted in a trilogy called Soul Gestures in Southern Blue in 1990. Describing the set, Howard Reich wrote in Down Beat, "the crying blue notes of 'Levee Low Moan,' the church harmonies of 'Psalm 26,' the sultry ambiance of 'Thick in the South' all recalled different settings and epochs in New Orleans music. And yet the tautness of Marsalis' septet, the economy of the motifs, and the adventurousness of the harmonies proclaimed this as new music, as well."

Using history to create his present sound became Marsalis' goal, along with exploring the rich tapestry of the different eras and styles of jazz. His first commission for the jazz program at Lincoln Center, In This House, On This Morning was performed in 1993. In it, he used the music of the African-American church as his primary inspiration.

Evolved into Jazz Spokesman

In the fall of 1994, Marsalis announced that his septet had disbanded. However, he continued composing, recording, and performing. The following year, he produced a four-part video series called Marsalis on Music, which aired on PBS. In May of 1995, his first string quartet, (At the) Octoroon Balls debuted at the Lincoln Center.

He continued to release classical works as well. He re-recorded the Haydn, Hummel, and Leopold Mozart concertos from Trumpet Concertos in 1994. Two years later, he released In Gabriel's Garden, which he recorded with the English Chamber Orchestra and Anthony Newman on harp-sichord and organ.

"I want to keep developing myself as a complete musician," Marsalis told Ken Smith in Stereo Review," so I take on projects either to teach me something new or else to document some development. With this new Baroque album, I felt that I'd never really played that music before with the right authority or rhythmic fire." Marsalis produced the Olympic Jazz Summit at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, and won 1996 Peabody Awards for both Marsalis on Music and for his National Public Radio Show "Wynton Marsalis: Making the Music." At the end of 1996, Time magazine named him one of America's 25 Most Influential People.

A major part of his influence went out to the country's youth. When he's not working on his own music, he traveled to schools across the country to talk about music in an effort to continue the tradition of jazz. "I'm always ready to put my own neck on the line for change," Marsalis told Lynn Norment in Ebony. "No school is too bad for me to go to.… I'll try to teach anybody. We are all striving for the same thing, to make our community stronger and richer. That's what the jazz musician has always been about."

Won Pulitzer Prize

In April of 1994, his biggest piece, Blood on the Fields, had its debut performance at the Lincoln Center. Marsalis composed the oratorio for three singers and a 14-piece orchestra, and it described the story of two Africans, Leona and Jesse, who found love despite the difficulties of American slavery. "I wanted to orchestrate for the larger ensemble and write for voices-something I'd never done," Marsalis said to V.R. Peterson in a People magazine interview. "I wanted to make the music combine with the words, yet make the characters seem real."

With Blood on the Fields, Marsalis won the first non-classical Pulitzer Prize award in history. Because of his piece, the selection board changed the criteria from "for larger forms including chamber, orchestra, song, dance, or other forms of musical theater" to "for distinguished musical composition of significant dimension." Columbia Records released the oratorio on a three-CD set in June of 1997.

He followed the release with recordings of two other previously performed works on one album. His collaboration with New York City Ballet director, Peter Martins' Jazz/ Six Syncopated Movements and Jump Start written for ballet director, Twyla Tharp, were both included on the record. Marsalis' work in jazz and classical music combined with his often outspoken attitude toward musical integrity surrounded him with controversy throughout his career. Despite the criticism, his talent was never questioned. As Eric Alterman described in The Nation, he's "a man universally acknowledged to be a master musician and perhaps the most ambitious composer alive."

Further Reading

Down Beat, January 1982; July 1984; September 1990; December 1992; February 1994; May 1995.

Ebony, July 1994.

Life, August 1993.

The Nation, May 12, 1997.

People, May 12, 1997.

Rolling Stone, November 8, 1984.

Stereo Review, July 1996.

Utne Reader, March-April, 1996.

Sony music press materials, www.music.sony.com, 1997.

musician

Personal Information

Born October 18, 1961 into a musical New Orleans family. Wynton's father, Ellis, is a prominent pianist and teacher and Wynton's brothers Branford and Delfeao are also musicians. Three sons: two with Candace Stanley--Wynton, age 9 and Simeon, age 7; third son with actress Victoria Rowell--Jasper Armstrong born December 26, 1995.
Education: Studied with John Longo; student at the New Orleans Center for Performing Arts, the Berkshire Music Center, and the JuIlliard School of Music 1979-81.

Career

At age 17 won an award at Berkshire Music Center; joined Art Blakey's "Jazz Messengers" 1980. Trumpet soloist with New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra 1975. Toured with Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. quartet; formed own group by 1981. Numerous albums released primarily by Columbia as noted in Discography section of text. Compositions for films and ballet. Co-founder and Artistic Director of Jazz--Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble. Sweet Swing Blues on the Road, a collection of essays about the jazz life, published 1994.

Life's Work

Wynton Marsalis, virtuoso trumpeter and bandleader, was born October 18, 1961, into a musical New Orleans family. Wynton's father Ellis, a prominent pianist and teacher, was of considerable influence on Wynton and his brothers Branford and Delfeao, also musicians. Brother Branford has led the orchestra on Jay Leno's Tonight Show, while Wynton's father has come to recent public attention with the release of new albums and a solo recording. Interestingly enough, Wynton, the master musician of the family, does not believe there is competition in music in the family. He recalls that he initially did not want to play a trumpet, but there was always one around his home while growing up and, at the age of 12, he listened to a record called Giant Steps and began playing the trumpet.

By 1975, Wynton was a trumpet soloist with the New Orleans Philharmonic Orchestra; he won an award at the prestigious Berkshire Music Center for his classical musical abilities at age 17; and was a recitalist for the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts from 1976-78. Wynton studied with John Longo and was a student at the New Orleans Center for Performing Arts, the Berkshire Music Center, and the JuIlliard School of Music from 1979-81. Wynton joined with Art Blakey's "Jazz Messengers" from 1980-81 and was part of Herbie Hancock's V.S.O.P. quartet, touring and recording in Japan and the United States. Wynton formed his own group which released their first LP in 1981, touring extensively afterward. Wynton then made a classical album and, in 1984, became the first instrumentalist to win simultaneous Grammy awards as the best jazz and classical soloist, with many awards and Grammys to follow. Since 1987, Wynton Marsalis has devoted a good deal of his time as artistic director of jazz programs at the Lincoln Center in New York. He has two sons by Candace Stanley--Wynton, Jr., now 9, and Simeon, age 7, both of whom reside with Candace Stanley. On December 26, 1995, another son, Jasper Armstrong Marsalis, was born to Wynton and television actress Victoria Rowell.

Marsalis has received extensive media coverage as a serious musician who has helped bring jazz back into prominence. Among his many accomplishments Marsalis has composed music for films and ballet, along with co-founding the Lincoln Center Jazz Ensemble. A gifted trumpeter and expert classical musician, Wynton Marsalis rejects "fusion" jazz with its electronics and rock, along with the practice of free jazz; but rather, continues with the tradition of jazz inspired by Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. Marsalis, persisting in this vein during the first half of the 1990s, set the pace for musicians such as trumpeter Terence Blanchard, alto saxophonist Donald Harrison, and his older brother Branford, who plays tenor and soprano saxophones. Wynton's popular septet disbanded in 1994, the same year that he published Sweet Swing Blues on the Road, a collection of essays about the jazz life.

Not content with simply playing jazz, Marsalis also teaches music and has instructed through an educational outreach program, "Project Discovery," as well as at the New England Conservatory of Music. The resurgence of traditional jazz at the hands of musicians like Wynton led to the first-ever all-jazz music cable channel, BET Jazz, in 1996. While certain older musicians are concerned about the reluctance among younger musicians to challenge the musical status quo versus interest in traditional forms, the resurgence has contributed to their own revitalized careers.

In an article written by Wynton entitled What Jazz Is and Isn't, published by The New York Times, Wynton states that jazz, " ... has such universal appeal and application to the expression of modern life that it has changed the conventions of American music as well as those of the world at large." Marsalis feels, however, that the categorizing of certain popular music as jazz has resulted in misconceptions about what jazz is, with many of today's musicians also possessing misconceptions. Marsalis believes that the purist ethic of jazz is being lost, while at the same time, companies continue to exploit and capitalize upon the esthetic reputation of jazz. In Wynton's view, the greatness of jazz stems from its emotion as well as its deliberate artifice, and he emphasizes that the music of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington is not merely the result of simple music forged by adverse social conditions. According to Marsalis, "Genius always manifests itself through attention to fine detail. Works of great genius sound so natural they appear simple, but this is the simplicity of elimination, not the simplicity of ignorance."

In June of 1989 Marsalis continued to be acclaimed for his technical gifts, being referred to as the most complete trumpeter in any field of American music since Dizzy Gillespie. While Wynton's recordings have been technically brilliant, they lacked a sense of his own emotion. However, the release of The Majesty of the Blues (Columbia), seven years after Marsalis burst on the music scene, is a triumphant fulfillment of his potential, connecting his musical intelligence to passionate blues. This album has Marsalis single-mindedly exulting in life's pleasures. In composition, the album reminds the listener of the late composer Charles Mingus, as Marsalis integrates earthy blues and gospel with sophisticated harmonies reminiscent of Duke Ellington. To achieve fuller harmonies, Marsalis has expanded the quartet of his previous album Live At Blues Alley, (Columbia) to a sextet, utilizing up to a 10- piece band on his newest recording. Stanley Crouch, who has written the liner notes for all of Wynton's jazz albums, notes that certain selections on the new release are reminiscent of Louis Armstrong and Thelonious Monk.

A year and one-half later, in December of 1990, Marsalis continued to show his Ellington influence on the soundtrack for Jan Amiel's film, Tune in Tomorrow. Also during that year Marsalis won an award for his contributions to music education in the Washington area. During this typically busy month, the jazz master performed at "Blues Alley," where his septet was joined by former pianist Marcus Roberts who left the band five years previous to pursue his own career. In between performing at Georgetown's "Blues Alley," Marsalis spent time delivering positive messages and practical music instruction to Georgetown's youth during a visit to Suitland High School. There, Marsalis taught a master level class to 250 students in Suitland's magnet program for creative and performing arts. Marsalis lectured students on the value of hard work, discipline, and individuality. Students recalled that Marsalis encouraged them to develop as individuals as well as artists. Marsalis shared with students his own realization that all of art lends "humanity" to his music. He stresses the need for young students to refrain from substance abuse and stick with something for a long time in order to develop technique. A brilliant trumpet virtuoso, Wynton is personally committed to the highest musical standards in jazz, urging young musicians to acquaint themselves with the tradition of jazz, while avoiding a tendency to cross over into pop, fusion, or rock.

During March of 1991, Wynton's recording, Intimacy Calling: Standard Time Vol. II, which came on the heels of The Resolution of Romance: Standard Time Vol. III (Columbia) was released. Though Volume III is the most intimate of the two albums, Marsalis focused on melody versus technique for Volume II. This recording contains several alluring ballads, including one of Wynton's finest, a version of Jerome Kernen's "Yesterdays." Less than six months later Wynton released a three-volume CD set entitled Soul Gestures in Southern Blue (Columbia) which compares with the 1989 The Majesty of the Blues because of its rootsy, New-Orleans style. The opening track on Vol. I of the set is "Harriet Tubman," which evokes a journey on the underground railroad. The second volume, "The Uptown Ruler," represents the sentiments and functions of the blues musician who is called upon to express the varied experience of humanity. Wynton's third volume, "Levee Low Moan," is comprised of mostly dance songs with vibrant Afro-Cuban rhythms.

The close of the year again found Wynton performing at "Blues Alley" nightclub in Georgetown, where he recorded a live album and conducted workshops with the "Blues Alley Youth Orchestra." Marsalis continued to show his loyalty to the club which gave him his first chance to play there in 1980 at age 20, when he was breaking upon the music scene. The performance found Wynton with his New Orleans rhythm section, bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley, alto saxophonist Wes Anderson, newly hired tenor saxophonist Herb Harris, and former pianist Marcus Roberts who had previously reunited with Marsalis at "Blues Alley."

A prolific recorder, Wynton's recordings were backlogged in 1991 and 1992, with five live recordings awaiting release. Additionally, Marsalis awaited the release of his soundtracks for the "Peanuts" television show and the television series, "Shannon's Deal." Further, he had completed a classical record with Kathleen Battle performing short pieces by Scarlatti, Bach, and Handel and had finished recording most of a ballet called, "Griot New York," which he wrote for Garth Fagan. Wynton's collaboration with Fagan dates back to when Wynton was 22 years old and he received encouraging words from Fagan. According to The Washington Post Fagan told Wynton, "I know it's tough out there, but you've got to stay with it and address this music, because it's important." Marsalis remains loyal to Fagan and many others whom he credits with supporting him in his early days.

By May of 1992, at the age of 30, Wynton Marsalis was the most celebrated jazz musician of his generation, whose ever-evolving style was well received, as evidenced by his release, Blue Interlude (Columbia). At that point in time, Marsalis performed more than 200 shows per year, and the travel and performing are wearing on him. In August of 1992, Marsalis lived in a Manhattan apartment on the 29th floor and was considered perhaps the greatest young living jazz musician. Marsalis toured during the fall of that year from Hershey, Pennsylvania, to Palm Desert, California, with The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, conducted by David Berger. The tour celebrated the legendary Duke Ellington, from whom Marsalis borrowed to create his own style; however, Marsalis performs from classical to Dixie.

A public television program aired February 7, 1992, entitled "Great Performances," featuring Wynton with sopranist Kathleen Battle on the classical recording, Baroque Duet (Sony Classics). Marsalis stated in the opening credits of this show that the duet for voice and solo instrument may have been close to today's modern jazz, informing the audience that, "The early jazz musicians, when they played trumpets and saxophones and stuff, they would try to sound like the singers .... then, when the instrumentalists get to a certain level of expression, then the vocalists imitate them."

Still performing with his septet in April of 1993, Marsalis and his band visited the "Wolf Trap," where Marsalis views his bandmates as essential, trading phrases with them as equals. Toward the end of the year, Marsalis completed In This House, On This Morning, commissioned by New York's Lincoln Center, an hour-long jazz suite in 12 sections. One of the suites, "Hopscotch America" was the musical score for a Peter Martins ballet which premiered in New York City. Marsalis views working on lengthy pieces as fun because long pieces are harder to organize, like writing a novel versus a poem or a song. Longer pieces require a lengthy period of sustained concentration which Marsalis enjoys.

Regarding today's jazz music, Marsalis feels that the lack of long- term lineups in jazz results in an over-reliance on individual improvisation and easy formulas of unison theme, trumpet, sax solo, and piano solo. Marsalis would like to see a greater use of other forms such as group improvisation, call-and-response, arrangements that sound like improvisation, and other techniques. Wynton feels that today's jazz needs to be played comprehensively, seeing it as a process of adding forms and styles together, rather than taking away. Marsalis emphasizes that the sound of a band is at the heart of jazz, and the goal as one where musicians encourage each other to choose what they'll play and to play their best with a democratic sense of expression.

Throughout 1993 and 1994, the compositional strides in Wynton's music were evident and he continued to be accompanied by his septet, known for his dazzling technique and willingness to tackle both jazz and classical genres. However, Wynton is more of a consolidator of the musical heritage of jazz rather than a groundbreaker. In This House, On This Morning, a 1994 Columbia release, emulates musical and liturgical cadences of church service and Wynton further personalized his influence by Duke Ellington and former jazz masters. This recording contains themes of whispering and shouting, accompanied by a powerful solo voice. The recording also incorporates the sensuality so ingrained in African American worship. Wynton says that In This House, On This Morning is about a desire to know God. Lorraine Gordon, owner of the "Village Vanguard," a New York jazz club where Marsalis has played since his early 20s, sees Marsalis playing music reflective of jazz history, with a vision of conveying to listeners the importance of looking back in order to move forward, to modernize the music, without losing its initial form and value. Marsalis stated in The Washington Post that, "It's very seldom you hear a young musician who can play a melody through the harmonic form of a song. When you do you know that's someone who can play." Marsalis feels that a group sound is difficult to attain, and expresses his debt to his talented band members, all of whom come from the church, acknowledging their influence. Wynton believes that spiritual matters are fundamental, noting the fundamental "amen" cadence of the blues.

The close of 1994 ended with Wynton and his septet formally disbanding, as announced at the "Village Vanguard." The group, together since 1989, was one of the most influential and active jazz bands. Wynton and his septet taught young musicians that there is a future in serious music. By 1994, however, at the age of 33, Wynton felt it was necessary to break up the band. Having been on the road together for 15 years, the band played three weeks each month, leaving only one week for Marsalis to attend to all of his other business, including helping to run Lincoln Center's jazz program, his teaching, and other obligations. With the band's break-up, Wynton planned to concentrate all of his energy on the Lincoln Center and to work with a big band. Marsalis also knows musicians in Brazil were interested in working with him.

Over the years, Wynton Marsalis has encouraged the careers of trumpeter Terence Blanchard, pianist Harry Connick, Jr., and others. Wynton has visited more than 1,000 schools around the country in the past decade, preaching the virtues of jazz. As the artistic director for Jazz at the Lincoln Center in New York City, Wynton introduces programs which teach young people about jazz. Wynton's vision to educate others about music, particularly jazz, is a vision which includes educating young artists about the history of African Americans as well.

In addition to being musically inclined, Marsalis is possessed of a political bent as well, taking his work and the black cause very seriously. Wynton feels that Louis Armstrong took a noble stand regarding the school integration controversy of his day in Little Rock during 1954, considering Armstrong was a revolutionary for his time. Marsalis similarly yearns to be seen as a revolutionary of sorts, having disbanded his septet in order to compose, visit schools, and study the music of foreign cultures. Marsalis has an evangelical zeal toward jazz, scouting the country's high school and college talent, looking for those with the talent and discipline to join him in his philosophy. Critic Stanley Crouch, Marsalis's intellectual mentor for 16 years, refers to the "purity" of Marsalis's triumph in restoring quality and discipline to jazz during a time in history when decadence and ineptness are often celebrated. Crouch sees Marsalis as a beacon in a mediocre society with low standards, though Marsalis has at times been criticized for practicing reverse racism at the Lincoln Center. Crouch feels that Marsalis is criticized because of a refusal to conform to mass media expectations for black artists. Marsalis expresses his own feelings to a Washington Post reporter, "Jazz critics are more concerned with race than with music ... Beethoven was Beethoven. He wasn't 'the German.' Whereas with jazz, you talk right away about the musician's neighborhood and his attitude toward race. Well, that's not going to go anywhere. We are tied to each other and we have to try to deal with each other. Believe me, the Caucasian and the American Negro are forever wed."

While Marsalis feels that jazz is far from dead, he acknowledges that it has reached a level of maturity where its basic forms are set, evolving more slowly. While he is considered more of a mainstream player, Marsalis does not seek to have jazz become pop music. Wynton's goal is to expose as many people as possible to jazz and he devotes many weeks each year to the youth in neglected neighborhoods, hoping that jazz will enrich and inspire them.

In early 1995 Wynton recorded an album on Columbia entitled Joe's Cool Blues for the Charlie Brown television program. Wynton recalled that, as a boy, the only time he heard jazz on television was on the Charlie Brown show. Marsalis first became interested in making the recording when he learned that the music was composed by the late pianist Vince Guaraldi, whom Wynton's father knew. Indeed, Wynton shares the billing on this recording with his pianist father, Ellis and the music is warm and poignant, without being overly sentimental.

By the fall of 1995, Marsalis hosted "Marsalis on Music," a four- part music appreciation program for young listeners which aired on public televison. The program, inspired by Leonard Bernstein's "Young People's Concert's" was a four-part series which tried to demystify classical and jazz music to an audience of 9-12-year- olds. Marsalis aimed to bring young people to a better understanding of these musical structures. His monologues took the same common sense approach to music which he learned from his own father. Marsalis has learned to temper his fierce devotion to music with humor. In the first part of the series, "Why Toes Tap: Marsalis on Rhythm," Marsalis referred to rhythm as the most basic element of music and life. In the second part, "Listening for Clues: Marsalis on Form," Wynton explained such things as the sonata form, 32-bar song, 12-bar blues and call-and-response forms. The third part of the series, "Sousa to Satchmo: Marsalis on the Jazz Band," charted the emergence of brass dominated ensembles. Finally, the final portion of the series, "Tackling the Monster: Marsalis on Practice," had Marsalis and cellist, Yo-Yo Ma discussing discipline, dedication, methodologies, and music fundamentals. The series was filmed in Stockbridge, Massachusetts where Marsalis was a Tanglewood fellow in the summer of 1979. Marsalis feels that an understanding of classical music provides a grounding in American culture, while traditional jazz is about the mixing of worlds, black and white. In the four-part series, Wynton's Liberty Brass Band and the Tanglewood Music Center Student Orchestra joined together, with Wynton showing his adeptness on a custom weighted horn, drums, and piano, in addition to his trumpet. A companion book and CD of the series are available through W.W. Norton, and a home video version was released by Sony. Marsalis also hosted "Making the Music," a 26-part jazz series on National Public Radio.

In 1997, Wynton became the first jazz artist to win a Pulitzer Prize for music for his epic jazz opera, Blood on the Fields. Wynton was grateful for the recognition of jazz music and feels that other jazz musicians equally deserved the Pulitzer, including Duke Ellington. An eight-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter, Wynton feels that the value of jazz music is finally being recognized. In his recent opera, Blood on the Fields, Wynton conducts the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, portraying the achievement of freedom for an enslaved man and woman. Marsalis continues with his mission to expose others to jazz as an art form, while sensing an urgency to help people remember and understand slavery, so that they might grow and learn from it. Marsalis is more than a great musician, he is a teacher and historian as well.

Awards

Named Jazz Musician of the Year Downbeat readers' poll 1982, 1984, and 1985; best trumpet player Downbeat critics' poll 1984; Acoustic Jazz Group of the Year Award 1984; Eight-time Grammy Award winner including solo Jazz instrumental 1984, 1986; classical soloist with orchestra 1984; best trumpet player 1985; and group award 1986. In July of 1988, received four honorary doctorate degrees as follows: Doctor of Fine Arts degrees from Manhattan College of Music in New York and Princeton; Doctor of Music degree from Yale University; and Doctor of Humane Letters degree from Hunter College in New York. Winner of Pulitzer Prize for music for epic jazz opera, Blood on the Fields, 1997; NY State Council on the Arts, councilmember, five-year term, 1997--.

Works

Selective discography

• Released by Columbia, except as noted:
• Think of One, 1983.
• Trumpet Concertos, 1983.
• Hot House Flowers, 1984.
• Black Codes (from the Underground), 1985.
• The Majesty of the Blues, 1989.
• Blue Interlude, 1992.
• Intimacy Calling: Standard Time Vol. II and Vol. III, 1991.
• Soul Gestures in Southern Blue, 3-vol. CD set, 1991.
• Baroque Duet, with Kathleen Battle, Sony Classics, 1992.
• In This House On This Morning, 1994.
• Joe Cool's Blues, 1995.

Further Reading

Books

• African American Almanac, 7th edition, Gale Research, 1996.
• Priestley, Brian, Jazz on Record, Billboard Books, 1991.

Periodicals

• Jet, 1997, pp. 61-63.
• The New York Times, August 1, 1994, p. C9; December 1, 1994, p.C15; May 24, 1992, sec. 2, p. 20; July 31, 1988, sec., 2 p. 21; July 2, 1988, p. A13.
• The Washington Post, Jun 18, 1989, p. G12; Jun 18, 1989, p. G1; Dec 13, 1990, pp. C1, B11; Dec 14, 1990, p. WW 20; Mar 22, 1991; Aug 11, 1991, p. G5; Dec 12, 1991, Weekend, p. 13; Weekend, 17; Feb 27, 1992, p. B2; Aug 16, 1992, Parade, p. 18; Apr 16, 1993, p. WW 13; Apr 20, 1993, p. B3; Jun 22, 1994, p. D7; Oct 9, 1995, p. C9; Mar 19, 1995, p. G8.
• Time, Dec 5, 1994, p. 59.

— Marilyn Williams

See Wynton Marsalis Lyrics

• Born: October 18, 1961, New Orleans, LA
• Active: '80s, '90s, 2000s
• Genres: Jazz
• Instrument: Trumpet
• Representative Albums: "Black Codes (From the Underground)", "Live at Blues Alley", "Think of One
• Representative Songs: "My Funny Valentine", "Cherokee", "Melancholia

Biography

The most famous jazz musician since 1980, Wynton Marsalis made a major impact on jazz almost from the start. In the early '80s, it was major news that a young and very talented black musician would choose to make a living playing acoustic jazz rather than fusion, funk, or R&B. Marsalis' arrival on the scene started the "Young Lions" movement and resulted in major labels (most of whom had shown no interest in jazz during the previous decade) suddenly signing and promoting young players. There had been a major shortage of new trumpeters since 1970, but Marsalis' sudden prominence inspired an entire new crop of brass players. The music of the mid-'60s Miles Davis Quintet had been somewhat overshadowed when it was new, but Marsalis' quintet focused on extending the group's legacy and soon other "Young Lion" units were using Davis' late acoustic work as their starting point.

During his career, Marsalis has managed to be a controversial figure despite his obvious abilities. His selective knowledge of jazz history (considering post-1965 avant-garde playing to be outside of jazz and 1970s fusion to be barren) is unfortunately influenced by the somewhat eccentric beliefs of Stanley Crouch, and his hiring policies as musical director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led to exaggerated charges of ageism and racism from local writers. However, more than balancing all of this out is Marsalis' inspiring work with youngsters, many of whom he has introduced to jazz; a few young musicians, such as Roy Hargrove, have been directly helped by Marsalis.

Marsalis' trumpet playing has been both overcriticized and (at least early on) overpraised. When he first arrived on the scene with the Jazz Messengers, his original inspiration was Freddie Hubbard. However, by the time he began leading his own group, Marsalis often sounded very close to Miles Davis (particularly when holding a long tone), although a version of Davis with virtuosic technique. He was so widely praised by the jazz press at the time (due to their relief that the future of jazz finally seemed safe) that there was an inevitable backlash. Marsalis' sometimes inaccurate statements about jazz of the 1970s and the avant-garde in general made some observers angry, and his rather derivative tone at the time made it seem as if there was always going to have to be an asterisk by his name when evaluating his talents. Some listeners formed permanent impressions of Marsalis as a Miles Davis imitator, but they failed to take into account that he was still improving and developing. With the 1990 recording Tune in Tomorrow, Marsalis at last sounded like himself. He had found his own voice by exploring earlier styles of jazz (such as Louis Armstrong's playing), mastering the wah-wah mute, and studying Duke Ellington. From that point on, even when playing a Miles Davis standard, Marsalis has had his own sound and has finally taken his place as one of jazz's greats.

The son of pianist Ellis Marsalis, the younger brother of Branford and the older brother of Delfeayo and Jason (the Marsalis clan as a whole can be accurately called "The First Family of Jazz"), Wynton (who was named after pianist Wynton Kelly) received his first trumpet at age six from Ellis' employer, Al Hirt. He studied both classical and jazz and played in local marching bands, funk groups, and classical orchestras. Marsalis played first trumpet in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra while in high school. He went to Juilliard when he was 18 and in 1980 he made his first recordings with the Art Blakey Big Band and joined the Jazz Messengers.

By 1981, the young trumpeter was the talk of the jazz world. He toured with Herbie Hancock (a double LP resulted), continued working with Blakey, signed with Columbia, and recorded his first album as a leader. In 1982, Marsalis not only formed his own quintet (featuring brother Branford and soon Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff "Tain" Watts) but recorded his first classical album; he was immediately ranked as one of the top classical trumpeters of all time. His quintet with Branford lasted until late 1985, although a rift developed between the brothers (fortunately temporary) when Branford finally quit the band to tour with Sting's pop group. By that time Wynton was a superstar, winning a countless number of awards and polls.

Marsalis' next group featured pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Watts. Over time the group grew to become a four-horn septet with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, altoist Wes Anderson, Todd Williams on tenor, bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley, and (by the early '90s) pianist Eric Reed. Marsalis really developed his writing during this era (being influenced by Duke Ellington) and the septet proved to be a perfect outlet for his arranging. Although Marsalis broke up the band by 1995, many of the musicians still appear in his special projects or with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.

In 1997, Marsalis' marathon Blood on the Fields (which was released as a three-CD set) became the first jazz-based work to win a Pulitzer Prize. Standard Time, Vol. 5: The Midnight Blues followed a year later. With the passing of so many jazz giants, Marsalis' importance (as a trumpeter, leader, writer, and spokesman for jazz) continued to grow. Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk followed in 1999 to coincide with the popular PBS special. Then, as if eight proper recordings in 1999 weren't enough, Columbia and Marsalis released an amazingly affordable seven-disc set entitled Live at the Village Vanguard. Mid-2000 saw the release of Marciac Suite and Goin' Down Home. Two years later, Marsalis celebrated the blues on All Rise. Next up was his first album for Blue Note, The Magic Hour, an album of original material released early in 2004. Later that year, the label released Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Marsalis' soundtrack to a Ken Burns documentary. Marsalis' second studio effort for Blue Note, the politically and socially aware From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, followed in 2007. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide

Standard Time, Vol. 6: Mr. Jelly Lord Buy this CD	Gold Collection Buy this CD	Gold Collection [Retro] Buy this CD	Trumpet Concertos Buy this CD	Trumpet Concertos Buy this CD
24 Buy this CD	Goin' Down Home Buy this CD	Reeltime Buy this CD	All Rise Buy this CD	Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson Buy this CD

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