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Branford Marsalis
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools to obtain his first major jobs, with trumpet legend Clark Terry and alongside Wynton in Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers. When the brothers left to form the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, the world of uncompromising acoustic jazz was invigorated. Branford formed his own quartet in 1986 and, with a few minor interruptions in the early years, has sustained the unit as his primary means of expression. Known for the telepathic communication among its uncommonly consistent personnel, its deep book of original music replete with expressive melodies and provocative forms, and an unrivaled spirit in both live and recorded performances, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has long been recognized as the standard to which other ensembles of its kind must be measured. Its most recent recording, Four MFs Playin’ Tunes, was named Best Instrumental Jazz Album in 2012 by iTunes.
Branford has not confined his music to the quartet context. In addition to guest turns with a legion of giants including Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins, he has excelled in duets with several major pianists, including his boyhood friend Harry Connick, Jr. and the longtime pianist in his quartet, Joey Calderazzo. Branford’s first solo concert, at San Francisco’s Grace Cathedral, is documented on his latest recording, In My Solitude.
Classical music inhabits a growing portion of Branford’s musical universe. With a repertoire including works by Copland, Debussy, Glazunov, Ibert, Mahler, Milhaud, Rorem, Vaughan Williams, Villa‐Lobos and Sally Beamish (who reconceived a work in progress, “Under the Wing of the Rock,” to feature Branford’s saxophone after hearing him perform one of her earlier pieces), Branford is frequently heard with leading symphony orchestras including those in Chicago, Detroit, Dusseldorf and North Carolina as well as the New York Philharmonic. He also served as Creative Director for the Cincinnati Symphony’s Ascent series in 2012‐13.
Broadway has also welcomed Branford’s contributions. His initial effort, original music for a revival of August Wilson’s Fences, garnered a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play and a Tony nomination for Best Original Score Written for the Theater. Branford also provided music for The Mountaintop, starring Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett, and served as musical curator for the 2014 revival of A Raisin in the Sun. Branford’s screen credits include the original music for Mo’ Better Blues and acting roles in School Daze and Throw Momma from the Train.
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Branford Marsalis Quartet at The Freight
by Ronald Davis
A collection of photos from the The Branford Marsalis Quartet concert at The Freight in Berkeley CA on March 11, 2025 featuring Branford Marsalis, Eric Revis, Justin Faulkner and Joey Calderazzo. ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis: Belonging
by Thierry De Clemensat
It appears to be that time of year when all musicians with ties to New Orleans unveil their latest albums. This time, we are graced with a release from one of the most illustrious members of the Marsalis family. This remarkably elegant album represents Branford Marsalis and his quartet's vision of Belonging, the seminal record Keith Jarrett recorded in 1974 (ECM). This highly sophisticated reinterpretation borders on an outright rewriting of the original, with the crème de la crème of ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis, Thomas Marriott, Mitch Towne, Lorraine Feather and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Branford Marsalis, Altin Sencalar, Reginald Cyntie, Marianne Solivan, Thomas Marriott, Mitch Towne, Paul Hecht, Lorraine Feather, Eric Alexander, Geoffrey Dean, Jackson Potter, Willie Morris, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Jerry Gimble, Allan Chaubert, Billy Hart, Russ Spiegel, Elaine Dame, MTB, Posi-Tone Swingtet, The Empress, Nnenna Freelon, Rachel Therrien, Yellowjackets, and more. Playlist Branford Marsalis “Long As You Know You're Living" from Yours Belonging (Blue Note) 00:00 Altin Sencalar “Straight Street" from Unleashed (Posi-Tone Records) ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis Quartet: Belonging
by Mike Jurkovic
For his Blue Note debut, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and his long-standing quartet--pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner--hit the sweet spot again and again and again, reinterpreting and re-imagining Keith Jarrett's epochal 1974 ECM classic, Belonging. Not only did Jarrett introduce the world to his no-holds-barred fear-no-idea European quartet--saxophonist Jan Garbarek, bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen--he was also in one of the most creative periods of his decades-long illuminating career. Consider the tense free-wheeling drive ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis Quartet at The Triple Door
by Paul Rauch
Branford Marsalis Quartet The Triple Door jny:Seattle, WA December 7, 2024 Gone are the days when the Branford Marsalis Quartet would take residence at Seattle's iconic Jazz Alley, and play nine sets over six nights--a true high point of the annual jazz calendar in the Emerald City. Of course Marsalis is a man with many irons in the fire, thus curtailing to a degree, the frequency of the quartet's appearances on the west coast. It ...
Continue ReadingDelfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Crescent City Jewels
by Jack Bowers
Among the four musically talented Marsalis brothers from New Orleans, Delfeayo is the one who plays trombone. He is also the one who leads the impressive Uptown Jazz Orchestra in Crescent City Jewels, an affable salute to his beloved home town. The playlist spans the gamut from blues to ballads, breezy bon bons to flat-out burners, and the UJO is brightly polished and at ease in every mood and at any tempo. The New Orleans vibe is ...
Continue ReadingBranford Marsalis & Joey Calderazzo: Face on the Barroom Floor
by Scott Lichtman
On “Face on the Barroom Floor," the duo of Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo pay tribute to Wayne Shorter by distilling one of Shorter's most beautiful pieces into its essentials. The sentiment might be interpreted as “a lovelorn individual drinks himself into forgetfulness. We hope for a happier future for him." Marsalis and Calderazzo take the original arrangement, performed by Weather Report, and leave only the piano and soprano saxophone, playing them plaintively with sparse block chords and a honking ...
Continue ReadingWorld-renowned Smoke Announces September Concert Schedule Including Club Debuts Of Branford Marsalis Quartet And Dave Holland New Quartet, Album Releases By Jazzmeia Horn And Christian Sands And More
Source:
AMT Public Relations
\Entering its second quarter century as committed as ever to pure jazz (All About Jazz),” SMOKE Jazz Club continues its 25th anniversary season with an exciting month of album release shows and club debuts. September kicks off with a residency featuring pianist Brad Mehldau (Aug 29-Sep 1). For the first time in the club’s history, SMOKE presents NEA Jazz Master Dave Holland at the helm of his New Quartet (Sep 4-8) and the long-awaited New York City appearance of Branford ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...
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The Adrienne Arsht Center For The Performing Arts Of Miami-Dade County Announces 2019-2020 Lineup For Jazz Roots Concert Series
Source:
Sheryl Feuerstein
The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County is proud to announce the 2019-2020 Jazz Roots season—six extraordinary, curated evenings of live music in the Center’s Knight Concert Hall that celebrate jazz’s rich history of fusion and cross-pollination. The Arsht Center is also proud to welcome new Jazz Roots presenting partner, EFG Capital. EFG is a global private banking group headquartered in jny: Zurich, Switzerland with regional headquarters in jny: Miami. The start-studded line up for Jazz ...
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StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Branford Marsalis Quartet
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Today, let's take a look at some videos featuring the Branford Marsalis Quartet, who will be coming to St. Louis to perform starting this coming Tuesday, April 2 through Thursday, April 4 at Jazz St. Louis. Last seen here in 2017 with singer Kurt Elling, Marsalis and company are on tour in support of a new album, The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, released a month ago. While the long-running quartet- Marsalis on tenor and soprano saxophones, Eric ...
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Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...
read more
Jazz Musician of the Day: Branford Marsalis
Source:
Michael Ricci
All About Jazz is celebrating Branford Marsalis' birthday today!
Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans as the oldest son of pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis, Branford was drawn to music along with siblings Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. His first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands... Read more.
Place our Musician of the Day widget on your website or blog. ...
read more
Jazz this week: Branford Marsalis & Kurt Elling, Denise Thimes, and more
Source:
St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
This week's calendar of jazz and creative music in St. Louis includes a early-week visit from two well-known jazz performers touring together for the first time, plus a couple of new jam sessions providing musical workout opportunities for local players, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Tuesday, January 24 Tonight, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, his quartet, and singer Kurt Elling will perform for the first of two nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Marsalis and Elling are touring together in ...
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Jef Neve
piano
Marcus Jefferson
guitar
Sharel Cassity
saxophone
Steven Husted
bass, acoustic
Mateusz Smoczyński
violin
Ben Bilello
drums
Wesley Crispus
saxophone, alto
Michael J. Bernabe
piano
Philippe Vieux
composer / conductor
Pureum Jin
saxophone, alto
heme japan
piano
Christopher Boscole
multi-instrumentalistPhotos
Concerts
Music
Uptown on Mardi Gras Day
From: Uptown on Mardi Gras DayBy Branford Marsalis
Videos
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Branford Marsalis
Instrument: Saxophone
Born: August 26, 1960
Management: Music Works International
