GMU Presents An Evening With Branford Marsalis

Publication: Fairfax News
Date: September 21, 2011

Known for his unmatched technique, forward-thinking approach and incredible versatility, three-time Grammy-winning saxophonist Branford Marsalis is a member of the first family of jazz and has performed with many 20^th century jazz giants, including Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Sonny Rollins. George Mason University’s Center for the Arts presents “An Evening with Branford Marsalis,” featuring a program of original compositions and modern jazz standards, at the Concert Hall on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2011 at 8 p.m.

Rounding out the Branford Marsalis Quartet are pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner. This performance is family friendly, and tickets are half price for youth through grade 12 when accompanied by an adult. A pre-performance discussion, free to ticket holders, begins 45 minutes prior to the performance on the Center’s Grand Tier III. Pre-performance discussions are sponsored by the Friends of the Center for the Arts.

Born in New Orleans into one of jazz’s most celebrated musical families, Branford Marsalis launched his career in the 1980s, first performing with Art Blakely’s Jazz Messengers and with his brother Wynton’s quintet before forming his own ensemble. In the 1990s, Marsalis served as the musical director for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and also acted in several films, including “School Daze” and “Throw Mama From the Train.” He also provided music for the film “Mo’ Better Blues.”

A man of diverse musical interests, in addition to jazz, Marsalis has collaborated with artists in both the classical and popular music worlds. He formed his own band, Buckshot LeFonque to explore contemporary popular music, and has toured and recorded with Sting and worked with the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby. In addition, he has been featured as a soloist with the Chicago, Detroit, Dusseldorf and North Carolina symphonies, and the Boston Pops, and continues to explore the classical realm.

Marsalis founded the Marsalis Music record label in 2002 to produce his own projects and the work of emerging and established jazz artists. He has released more than 20 recordings, including his most recent, “Songs of Mirth and Melancholy.” A collaboration with pianist Joey Calderazzo, this summer 2011 release features seven original compositions, as well as a cover of Wayne Shorter’s “Face on the Barroom Floor” and Brahms’ “Die Trauernde.” The Boston Globe praised the album for its “meaningful melody and sweet melancholy,” hailing it an “excellent new duo album.”

In addition to his Grammy Awards, Marsalis also recently received a 2010 Tony nomination for the music for the Broadway revival of August Wilson’s “Fences.” The project also earned Marsalis a 2010 Drama Desk Award. Along with his family, Marsalis is also the recent recipient of the National Endowment of the Arts’ prestigious Jazz Masters Fellowship for 2011.

Dedicated to assisting with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in his hometown of New Orleans, Marsalis serves as the honorary chair of the New Orleans Habitat for Humanity chapter. Together with Harry Connick Jr., he formed the Habitat Musicians’ Village in the city’s historic 9^th Ward, and the Ellis Marsalis Center for the Music, which will open to the public on Aug. 25, 2011. According to Marsalis’ website, the center “will serve as a state-of-the-art facility for the preservation and ongoing development of New Orleans music and culture.”