Wynton Marsalis

Wynton Marsalis is a jazz and classical music composer and a distinguished trumpeter. Marsalis has already made made over 30 jazz and 16 classical recordings by the year 2006. Marsalis comes from a musical family with his father being a music teacher and pianist and three brothers, Branford Marsalis, a saxaphonist, Delfeayo Marsalis, a trombonist and Jason Marsalis, a drummer.

Fast Facts

1. Genre: Jazz
2. Name: Wynton Learson Marsalis
3. Born: October 18, 1961
4. Origin: New Orleans, Louisiana
5. Years Active: 1980 - Present
6. Labels: Columbia Records, Sony Records
7. Awards: 9 Grammy Awards, Pulitzer Prize for Music
8. Musical Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center
9. Associated with: English Chamber Orchestra
10. Notable civic leader after Hurricane Katrina

Career

In 1980 Marsalis joined the Jazz Messengers to study under Art Blakey. Marsalis learned his concept for bandleading from Blakey. In 1981 Marsalis toured the United States and Japan with the Herbie Hancock Quartet. Over the years Marsalis has been invited to preform with many jazz legends.

Marsalis eventually formed his own band and toured for 10 consecutive years. In 1997 Marsalis won the first Pulitzer Prize for music. Marsalis has toured 30 countries and sold almost five million recordings worldwide.

Notable Recordings

• 1981: Wynton Marsalis
• 1987: Carnaval
• 1996: In Gabriel's Garden
• 2005: Live at the House of Tribes
• 2007: From the Plantation to the Penitentiary

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