Art Works Podcast: Delfeayo Marsalis


By Josephine Reed
Delfeayo Marsalis. Photo courtesy of the musician
Delfeayo Marsalis. Photo courtesy of the musician
Meet Delfeayo Marsalis , one of the top trombonists and producers working in jazz today, and the third musical son in the acclaimed Marsalis family. (And for you trivia lovers, the Marsalis family has received the one and only group NEA Jazz Masters Award.) Performing internationally with some of the great bandleaders, like Slide Hampton, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones, Marsalis developed his musical chops both on the stage and in the studio. From an early age, he was interested in producing music that preserved an acoustic jazz sound. The recordings he produced for his brother Branford in the 1980s used a rich acoustic bass sound as opposed to the amped up bass direct, a difference which was key to changing recording techniques for jazz. In fact, Marsalis' production work earned him a Grammy as well as a 3M Visionary Award. Marsalis has also earned wide acclaim as an arranger and a composer, writing over 80 songs that introduce jazz to kids, and releasing four CDs as a bandleader. His most recent album is Sweet Thunder, an ambitious modern interpretation of the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn suite, Such Sweet Thunder. Excerpt from “Such Sweet Thunder," composed and performed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, from the album Such Sweet Thunder, used courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment. Excerpt from “Such Sweet Thunder," composed by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, and performed by Delfeayo Marsalis from his album, Sweet Thunder, used courtesy of Troubadour Jass Records.

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