Branford Marsalis was born into a musical family in New Orleans on August 26,1960. His mother, Dolores, was a jazz singer and teacher, and his father, Ellis, was a pianist and music professor. His 3 brothers are all jazz musicians. Together, they are considered “The First Family of Jazz”. Marsalis began his musical studies under his father at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, going on to Southern University (Baton Rouge), and then Berklee College of Music in Boston from which he received an Honorary Doctorate in Music.

A highly gifted saxophonist, Marsalis began carving his reputation in the world of jazz, playing with many of the greats such as Lionel Hampton, Clark Terry, touring with Herbie Hancock, and made recordings with Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie. In addition to being the musical director of The Tonight Show (1992-95), he was a record producer for Sony and a frequent host on National Public Radio. He garnered a Drama Desk Award (2010) and Tony nominations for his work on Broadway. His quartet, The Branford Marsalis Quartet, received a Grammy in 2001. The list of his musical achievements is wildly extensive but also includes his work with underserved children which he began in New Orleans’ Upper Ninth Ward after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.

Marsalis is the rare artist who is able to cross musical boundaries fluidly and with unmitigated success. He is a featured soloist with acclaimed orchestras around the world performing works by Copeland, Debussy, Mahler, Rorem, Vaughn Williams, just to name a few. He is also a recognized composer. He has graciously provided an example of an original composition for this website.