I discovered today that Mondays in this neck of the woods, according to the Noir-inspired WDKY, are Musical Monday. In honour of this there is now a link in the sidebar, and I have configured the Last.fm recently played list so it looks better and actually seems to fit inside the frame.I wish I could be all Indie Rock Pete and make it new music Monday, and talk about lots of obscure bands nobody has heard of or would want to hear of, but I'm just not that cool.
Instead, today I bring you the sublimely talented jazz trumpeter, Mr Wynton Marsalis. According to my 'Penguin Guide to Jazz' (Cook & Morton, 1997) Marsalis is "the most powerful jazz musician in America today".
Born in New Orleans on October 18, 1961, to the relatively obscure musician Ellis Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis is one of six brothers, including Branford Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis.
A kind of child prodigy, Marsalis quickly went from learning the trumpet as a child, to playing concertos and funk bands in his teens, before going on to study at Juliard. At 20 he was leading a new traditionalism in jazz -- and from then his influence has only grown, from joining Art Blakey in 1981, forming a band with his brother Branford in 1982 and since 1992 his position as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Outstanding! I actually have a Branford Marsalis album here (Romances for Saxaphone) and he's pretty talented too. Quite a family.
ReplyDeleteWynton Marsalis came to play at Eastman earlier this year. I didn't go see him. Can't remember why, anymore... probably something about not wanting to be with the friends of mine who were going to the concert. Either that, or I desperately needed a nap.
ReplyDeleteooo, I will check him out!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jay :)
He looks like Will Smith. Trust me to lower the tone!
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