Wynton Marsalis & Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra

Biography

Wynton Marsalis, born October 18, 1961, in New Orleans, Louisiana, displayed prodigious musical talent from a young age, performing publicly as the only Black musician in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra and winning a contest at 14 to play Haydn's trumpet concerto with the New Orleans Philharmonic. He gigged extensively with local ensembles including symphony groups, youth orchestras, jazz and brass bands, and his funk band The Creators, before becoming, at 17, the youngest admittee to Tanglewood Music Center, where he earned the Harry Shapiro Award for outstanding brass student. Attending Juilliard in 1979 for classical trumpet studies, Marsalis pivoted to jazz after touring with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in 1980-1982, releasing his debut album in 1982 and forming a quintet with brother Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff 'Tain' Watts.

Marsalis's career exploded with critical acclaim for albums like Think of One (1983) and Hot House Flowers (1984), while maintaining a classical profile, becoming the first and only artist to win Grammy Awards in both jazz and classical categories in the same year (1983 and 1984). In 1987, he co-founded the Classical Jazz summer series at Lincoln Center, leading to Jazz at Lincoln Center's independence in 1996, where he serves as artistic and managing director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and musical director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), performing at Rose Hall, touring, and releasing albums via Blue Engine Records. His oeuvre spans over 127 recordings emphasizing blues, New Orleans traditional jazz, bebop, and modern styles, including the Pulitzer-winning oratorio Blood on the Fields (1997).

Renowned for bridging jazz and classical realms, Marsalis has composed works like Blues Symphony (2009) and Swing Symphony (2010), performed 4,862 concerts across 65 countries, and advocated tirelessly for jazz education through Jazz at Lincoln Center programs, Juilliard Jazz Studies, books, and public platforms, earning nine Grammys, three Gold Records, and the moniker 'Doctor of Swing.'

Fun Facts

• At age 14, Marsalis won a contest to perform Haydn's trumpet concerto as the youngest soloist with the New Orleans Philharmonic, and two years later played Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2.
• He is the only musician to win Grammy Awards in both jazz and classical categories in the same year, achieving this feat in 1983 (Think of One and Haydn/Hummel/L. Mozart concertos) and repeating in 1984.
• Marsalis has performed 4,862 concerts in 856 cities across 65 countries and recorded 1,539 songs total, selling over seven million albums worldwide with three Gold Records.
• In his youth, he played in a popular local funk band called The Creators alongside symphony and jazz gigs nearly every evening.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Art Blakey - Band leader of The Jazz Messengers; key influence in shifting Marsalis to jazz career (Tours and recordings with The Jazz Messengers) [1980-1982]
• Herbie Hancock - Touring collaborator who inspired jazz direction (World tours)

Key Collaborators

• Branford Marsalis - Brother and saxophonist in Wynton Marsalis Quintet (Wynton Marsalis (1982), Think of One (1983)) [1982 onward]
• Kenny Kirkland - Pianist in Wynton Marsalis Quintet (Early quintet albums including Black Codes (1985)) [1982-1980s]
• Charnett Moffett - Bassist in Wynton Marsalis Quintet (Debut quintet recordings)
• Jeff 'Tain' Watts - Drummer in Wynton Marsalis Quintet (Early quintet albums)
• Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra - Musical director; leads the big band in performances and recordings (Blue Engine Records albums like Blues Symphony (2021), The Democracy! Suite (2020)) [1996-present]

Artists Influenced

• Young jazz musicians and students - Through Jazz at Lincoln Center education programs and Juilliard Jazz Studies directorship; sparked jazz renaissance attracting new talent (Educational workshops, curricula, JLCO school visits) [1980s-present]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia