Gothic Theatre
Branford Marsalis
Perhaps somewhat unexpectedly, world-renown saxophonist Branford Marsalis’ most ambitious project to date is not a recording. The 42-year-old Grammy award-winning musician has taken a seat on the other side of the table with the launch of his new label, Marsalis Music.
Marsalis considers this latest challenge an honor, a privilege, almost an obligation. “I’ve been lucky to have the time and opportunity to really explore the music and deal with it. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer places to do that.” With Marsalis Music, he hopes to provide a home where creative musicians receive the time and support needed to grow and develop.
As Branford can attest, it takes time to develop an original sound. Nearly twenty years in the making, he finally feels that his quartet’s sound is recognizably its own. “The best way to get an original sound is by researching the greats. You can’t circumvent the mountain. You’ve got to climb it… ” Branford’s next album, Footsteps of Our Fathers , the new label’s first release, documents his climb as he and the members of his quartet interpret seminal works by jazz immortals living and gone.
Known for his innovative spirit and broad musical scope, Branford is equally at home on the stages of the world’s greatest jazz clubs and classical halls. His recording career as a leader encompasses twelve jazz albums, two classical albums, and two Buckshot LeFonque pop releases for Sony Music. His final recording for Columbia Records, Contemporary Jazz, which has been hailed as his greatest work to date, garnered the saxophonist’s third Grammy Award. Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune declared that Contemporary Jazz captured Marsalis at “a new level of emotional intensity and instrumental brilliance.”
Following this remarkable jazz recording, Marsalis, in collaboration with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, released his second classical album on Sony Classical in March 2001. The recording features a program of jazz-influenced and inspired classics from early 20th century French composers, including Milhaud, Ravel, Debussy and others. Marsalis and the ensemble followed the release with a limited engagement tour of the US and Japan.
The New Orleans native was born into one of the city’s most distinguished musical families, which includes patriarch/pianist/educator Ellis Marsalis and brothers Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason Marsalis. In 1984, Scenes In the City, Branford’s first album for Columbia Jazz, began the saxophone—playing Marsalis brother’s thriving jazz career, while he was also making successful forays into the pop world with artists such as the Grateful Dead, Sting, and Bruce Hornsby.
Branford won a Grammy in 1993 (Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Individual or Group) for his album I Heard You Twice The First Time, and another in 1994 (Best Pop Instrumental Performance) for “Barcelona Mona,” a single he recorded with Bruce Hornsby for the Olympics in Spain). His 1993 trio album, Bloomington was also hailed as a landmark in contemporary jazz, which Bill Kohlhasse of the LA Times found “revealing and beautiful in ways only the best improvisational music can be”. With 1994’s debut album from Buckshot LeFonque; Branford’s unique amalgam of jazz and hip-hop also broke new musical ground.
In 1995, Branford received another Grammy nomination (Best Pop Instrumental Performance) for his stirring rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” on which he and Bruce Hornsby teamed once again for Ken Burns’ memorable PBS series, “Baseball.” The Dark Keys (1996) represented a further step in Branford’s jazz explorations, followed by the second Buckshot album, Music Evolution, in 1997.
Marsalis has also made his mark as a producer, beginning with the first album he produced for Columbia Records, David Sánchez’s Obsesión, which received a Grammy nomination for Best Latin Jazz Performance. Branford and Sánchez collaborated again as producer and artist on Sanchez’s next Grammy-nominated album, Melaza. Other Marsalis productions include albums by singer/keyboardist Frank McComb and pianist Joey Calderazzo.
Marsalis does not limit his musical pursuits to recording and live performance. His has participated in various film scores as both composer and featured soloist. Among the most notable, Branford wrote, arranged and produced the score to the critically acclaimed Showtime movie, Mr. & Mrs. Loving starring Timothy Hutton and Lela Rochon; composed the score for the Disney/NBC film Single Dad; and recently completed the score for Once In the Life, the directorial debut of acclaimed actor Lawrence Fishburne. Branford has also participated in the soundtracks to several Spike Lee films including Mo’ Better Blues, Malcolm X and Clockers. Additionally, he was involved in the soundtrack to Sneakers starring Robert Redford, Throw Momma from the Train starring Billy Crystal and Danny DeVito, and The Russia House starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfieffer.
Marsalis is also dedicated to changing the future of jazz in the classroom. He recently assumed a part-time appointment on the music faculty at San Francisco State University. This follows a previous association with Michigan State University where Marsalis taught both as a visiting scholar and a part-time faculty member. Beyond these traditional avenues, Branford hopes to bring jazz to a wider audience and provide places for young musicians to perform before live audiences through the “Marsalis Jams” initiative of his new label.
Whether on the stage, in the recording studio or classroom, Branford Marsalis represents a clear commitment to musical excellence. With the new challenges and opportunities presented by his own record label, he once again keeps the music in the forefront.
