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Ellis Marsalis

Biography

Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. (November 14, 1934 – April 1, 2020) was a highly influential American jazz pianist, composer, and educator, widely regarded as the patriarch of the Marsalis musical family. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Marsalis began his formal music studies at age eleven and later graduated from Dillard University with a degree in music education. He initially played both tenor saxophone and piano before focusing on piano, performing locally and serving as a band director after college. Marsalis honed his skills further during a stint in the U.S. Marine Corps, performing on military television and radio shows before returning to New Orleans to immerse himself in the city’s jazz scene.[1][5][6][8]

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, Marsalis collaborated with notable musicians such as Ed Blackwell, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, and Al Hirt, but he became best known for his dedication to jazz education. He taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, Xavier University of Louisiana, and the University of New Orleans, where he founded the Jazz Studies program. Marsalis’s teaching philosophy emphasized both historical understanding and personal discovery in jazz, and he mentored a generation of musicians who would go on to shape the genre. Despite his devotion to teaching, he recorded nearly twenty albums as a leader and appeared on many others, earning recognition for his modern, exploratory approach to jazz piano.[1][6][7][8]

Marsalis’s legacy is profound—not only as a performer but as a mentor to countless artists, including his own sons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason, all of whom became prominent jazz musicians. He received numerous honors, including induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, the NEA Jazz Masters Award (with his sons), and a posthumous Grammy Trustees Award. The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans stands as a testament to his enduring impact on jazz and music education.[1][7][8]

Fun Facts

  • Ellis Marsalis was one of the few New Orleans jazz musicians of his era who did not play Dixieland or R&B, instead focusing on modern jazz styles.
  • He appeared on Marine Corps-sponsored TV and radio shows, 'Dress Blues' and 'Leatherneck Songbook,' while serving in the military.
  • Marsalis was a fraternity brother of both Phi Beta Sigma and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, receiving the latter's highest honor, 'Man of Music,' in 2015.
  • The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in New Orleans is named in his honor, supporting music education and community development.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

  • Roger Dickerson - Early bandmate and influence during high school R&B performances (Local performances) [late 1940s–early 1950s]

Key Collaborators

  • Ed Blackwell - Formed a small combo together, advancing modern jazz in New Orleans (Small combo performances) [1950s–1960s]
  • Cannonball Adderley - Performed and recorded with Adderley, expanding Marsalis's exposure (Live and studio collaborations) [1950s–1960s]
  • Al Hirt - Toured with Hirt for three years (Touring band) [1967–1970]
  • David 'Fathead' Newman - Featured on recordings together (Studio albums) [1980s–1990s]
  • Eddie Harris - Collaborated on recordings (Studio albums) [1980s–1990s]

Artists Influenced

  • Wynton Marsalis - Son and student; became a leading jazz trumpeter and composer (Multiple albums, NEA Jazz Masters Award) [1970s–2020s]
  • Branford Marsalis - Son and student; acclaimed saxophonist and bandleader (Multiple albums, NEA Jazz Masters Award) [1970s–2020s]
  • Delfeayo Marsalis - Son and student; trombonist and producer (Multiple albums, NEA Jazz Masters Award) [1980s–2020s]
  • Jason Marsalis - Son and student; drummer and vibraphonist (Multiple albums, NEA Jazz Masters Award) [1990s–2020s]
  • Harry Connick Jr. - Student at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; became a renowned pianist and vocalist (Multiple albums) [1970s–1980s]
  • Terence Blanchard - Student at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts; acclaimed trumpeter and composer (Multiple albums, film scores) [1970s–1980s]
  • Nicholas Payton - Student; Grammy-winning trumpeter (Multiple albums) [1980s–1990s]

Connection Network

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Influenced
Mentors
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Discography

Albums

Title Release Date Type
Heart Of Gold 1992-01-28 Album
Joe Cool's Blues 1995-04-18 Album
Return To The Wide Open Spaces 2025-04-11 Album
A New Orleans Christmas Carol (Deluxe Edition) 2011-11-15 Album
Duke In Blue 1999-10-11 Album
Loved Ones 1995-06-27 Album
Ruminations in New York 2005-03-15 Album
Pure Pleasure For The Piano 2012-01-01 Album
On the Second Occasion 2014-04-08 Album
On the First Occasion 2013-10-08 Album
New Orleans Christmas Carol 2011-10-11 Album
Whistle Stop 1994-03-08 Album
An Open Letter To Thelonious (Deluxe Edition) 2010-12-07 Album
The Classic Ellis Marsalis 2003-01-01 Album

Top Tracks

  1. DO You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans (Heart Of Gold)
  2. I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Heart Of Gold)
  3. My One and Only Love
  4. The Little Drummer Boy (feat. Bill Huntington & Jason Marsalis) (A New Orleans Christmas Carol (Deluxe Edition))
  5. Charlie Brown (Joe Cool's Blues)
  6. Heart of Gold (Heart Of Gold)
  7. Oh, Good Grief! (Joe Cool's Blues)
  8. Drop Me Off In Harlem (Duke In Blue)
  9. Buster's Tune (Return To The Wide Open Spaces)
  10. Mo' Better Blues (feat. Ellis Marsalis) (A Love Letter to New Orleans)

Tags: #death-by-covid-19, #jazz, #post-bop

References

  1. allaboutjazz.com
  2. louisianamusichalloffame.org
  3. njjs.org

Heard on WWOZ

Ellis Marsalis has been played 17 times on WWOZ 90.7 FM, New Orleans' jazz and heritage station. Showing the 10 most recent plays.

DateTimeTitleShowSpotify
Dec 31, 202516:35tell mefrom the ellis marsalis quintet plays the music of ellis marsalisJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Al Colón
Dec 25, 202518:37Mo' Better Bluesfrom Love Songs, Ballards & StandardsJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Keith Hill
Dec 19, 202516:02Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmasfrom A New Orleans Christms CarolJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Charles Burchell
Dec 19, 202507:54The Little Drummer Boyfrom New Orleans Christmas CarolThe Morning Setw/ Dave Dauterive
Dec 15, 202502:55AfterThe Dean's Listw/ Dean Ellis
Dec 11, 202511:17EL-RAY BLUESNew Orleans Music Showw/ Michael Dominici
Dec 11, 202511:09WINTER WONDERLANDNew Orleans Music Showw/ Michael Dominici
Dec 5, 202518:57A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Sfrom Heart Of GoldJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Charles Burchell
Nov 14, 202517:56Friendshipsfrom Twelve`s ItJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Charles Burchell
Nov 14, 202517:04Cochisefrom Whistle StopJazz from Jax Breweryw/ Charles Burchell

View all 17 plays