Ellis Marsalis

It is a bit ironic that Ellis Marsalis had to wait for sons <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> to get famous before he was able to record on a regular basis, but Ellis finally received his long-overdue recognition. The father of six sons (including <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7Mi7qbYfK4tS3Afa0L6fN0">Delfeayo</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:3kZyLijv2b47kwz0qoRpT6">Jason</a>), Ellis Marsalis' main importance to jazz may very well have been as a jazz educator; his former pupils (in addition to his sons) included <a href="spotify:artist:7IbO8NvxclKsk7WTOZ42bv">Terence Blanchard</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:53pHwg1sjhqGk726JnJHYb">Donald Harrison</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6u17YlWtW4oqFF5Hn9UU79">Harry Connick, Jr.</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3cwVFmQ6mcUoGR6ZvIPuZ4">Nicholas Payton</a>, and Kent and <a href="spotify:artist:4GRcTJVf9DycXaXLAZOH5X">Marlon Jordan</a>, among others.

Born in New Orleans in 1934, he started out as a tenor saxophonist, switching to piano while in high school. Marsalis was one of the few New Orleans musicians of the era who did not specialize in Dixieland or rhythm & blues. He played with fellow modernists (including <a href="spotify:artist:6OyNnPUKtNrjm5QQkK0Px9">Ed Blackwell</a>) in the late '50s with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22AFO%22">AFO</a>, recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:5v74mT11KGJqadf9sLw4dA">Cannonball</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:7KjjSmSX5wCE1KYOerEf6D">Nat Adderley</a> in the '60s, played with <a href="spotify:artist:0TGsWvnbtExsbGUSWtXENE">Al Hirt</a> (1967-1970), and was busy as a teacher. Marsalis freelanced in New Orleans during the '70s and taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He recorded with <a href="spotify:artist:375zxMmh2cSgUzFFnva0O7">Wynton</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> on Father and Sons in 1982, an album that they shared with <a href="spotify:artist:0V2fyT9oYJQdsePL7VrfwL">Chico</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:39Ni96Dw8uEeQb2KgeXIT8">Von Freeman</a>. After that, Marsalis recorded for <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22ELM%22">ELM</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Spindletop%22">Spindletop</a> (a duet session with <a href="spotify:artist:0bcDOCWIbvWApEIB7l1uZ4">Eddie Harris</a>), <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Rounder%22">Rounder</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Blue+Note%22">Blue Note</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Columbia%22">Columbia</a>, issuing Twelve's It on the latter in 1998. Duke in Blue followed a year later.

Marsalis released 2000's Afternoon Session, 2005's Ruminations in New York, and 2008's An Open Letter to Thelonious. In 2011, he offered his second holiday-themed effort, New Orleans Christmas Carol. He then joined son <a href="spotify:artist:1gPY6jETlC02stpXOUmSBH">Branford</a> and pianist <a href="spotify:artist:7Gv9weyLTeDrDjABqHnged">Makoto Ozone</a> for 2012's Pure Pleasure for the Piano. The following year, he offered the urbane solo piano recording On the First Occasion. In 2014, he guested on son <a href="spotify:artist:7Mi7qbYfK4tS3Afa0L6fN0">Delfeayo</a>'s The Last Southern Gentlemen and joined trumpeter <a href="spotify:artist:5YTmWKWJ9fW5rHX4SnvJWV">Scotty Barnhart</a> and the legacy <a href="spotify:artist:2Hn9fch2OLB5jZuEAVjTCe">Count Basie Orchestra</a> for 2015's A Very Swingin' Basie Christmas. An active performer, Marsalis toured often and was a frequent guest at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Ellis Marsalis died in New Orleans on April 1, 2020; he was 85 years old. ~ Scott Yanow, Rovi