About

Occupation: musician, a composer, a bandleader, an educator, and he is the artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Opera

Education: Tanglewood’s Berkshire Music Center, Juilliard School of Music

Location: New York

Birth Place: New Orleans

Marital Status: N/A

Birth Date: Oct. 18, 1961

Death Date: Alive

Status & Notes

Note One:
Wynton Marsalis was born on October 18, 1961, to Ellis and Dolores Marsalis. Wynton’s father was a musician and a teacher. Wynton showed great musical potential at an early age. When he was eight years old he was already performing traditional New Orleans music in Fairview Baptist church. At the age of 14 he performed with the New Orleans Philharmonic. In high school Wynton played with the New Orleans symphony brass quintet, New Orleans symphony, New Orleans Youth Orchestra, various jazz bands (Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers) and a funk band called ‘The Creators.’ Wynton was the youngest musician to be admitted into Tanglewood’s Berkshire Music Center. In 1979 he was admitted into Juilliard School of Music. In 1981 Wynton created his own band and performed over 120 concerts a year for 15 years. During this time Wynton Marsalis rekindled more interest and attracted a new generation to jazz. Wynton Marsalis plays the trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn and flumpet. He currently lives in New York and works as a musician, a composer, a bandleader, an educator, and he is the artistic director of jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Opera. Wynton mainly plays Jazz, post-bop, jazz poetry and classical. He studied with Art Blakey. Wynton has performed with many jazz legends such as: Sarah Vaughan, Dizzy Gillespie, Sweets Edison, Clark Terry, Sonny Rollins, Ron Carter, Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams and countless other musicians.

Status One:
August 1981 I’m looking forward to tonight’s performance featuring pianist Kenny Kirkland, Miles Davis’ rhythm section and my own brother Branford Marsalis performing Father Time.

Note two:
On February 16, 1999 The Jazz Messengers released a new album called Round Bout Midnight that contains seven recordings. Round Bout Midnight features Wynton Marsalis playing trumpet, Ron Carter on bass, Herbie Hancock on piano and Tony Williams on drums. The song Round Bout Midnight was written by Thelonious Monk in 1986. The Jazz Messengers have made numerous albums that included this song. They have performed this piece in many different locations in the United States and it was very popular. It is in the style of cool jazz. The song is dark and depressing. It first starts off with a trumpet solo using a Harmon mute (stem out) and then the rhythm section joins in to accompany Wynton. Later on there are outbursts of energy and then there is an improve solo section featuring the piano and then the bass. After the solo section there the tempo slows back down and has a trumpet cadenza section.

Status Two:
Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Don’t miss the next concert on Tuesday night with JLCO performing in Michigan at the Hill Auditorium! We will be performing one of our favourites, Zero.

Note Three:
Wynton Marsalis is primarily a jazz trumpet player. He performs music in the style of jazz, post-bop, jazz poetry and classical Jazz. Post-bop’s origins are from bebop which was developed in the 1960’s. Post-bop had a structure to the music where there was a form of rhymes, ensemble structure and other Latin elements. It would be performed in a small jazz combo. This style of music was originally influenced by Hank Mobley (saxophonist,) Horace Silver (pianist,) Art Blakey (drummer) and Lee Morgan (trumpet player.) Jazz poetry was founded in the 1920’s. It is when poetry is read with jazz music as accompaniment. It was influenced by Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, Bessie Smith, and Lester Young. Both styles of jazz are used to tell a story.

Status Three:
March-05-14 Eugene, OR Just arrived in Eugene and now I’m getting prepared for the concert tonight with JLCO! I can’t wait to perform in The John G. Shedd Institute for the Arts. It’s going to be a wonderful evening! I can’t wait to see the turn out!