December 2011 Marsalis Music Newsletter

Alma Adentro Earns Grammy Nomination!
Last week, we were proud to hear the news that Miguel Zenón’s latest release, Alma Adentro: The Puerto Rican Songbook, is nominated for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album as part of the 54th Grammy Awards to be held February 12, 2012. Best of luck to Miguel and the rest of that large ensemble: James Austin Smith, Brad Balliett, David Byrd-Marrow, Henry Cole, Julietta Curenton, Domenica Fossati, Hans Glawischnig, Romie de Guise-Langlois, Nathalie Joachim, Jennifer Kessler, Guillermo Klein, Carol McGonnell, Luis Perdomo, and Keve Wilson.

Patrick Jarenwattananon chooses Alma Adentro as his personal pick to win the category in his discussion of the Jazz Grammy nominations on NPR’s Blog Supreme- check out his full analysis here. NPR picks Alma Adentro as one of its favorite albums of 2012- full list here. The Chicago Tribune picked Miguel’s album as one of the top jazz albums of the year- read here.

Final Installment of The Making of Songs of Mirth and Melancholy Up Now
Please visit our website or our YouTube channel to watch Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo discuss the process behind their duo recording. Branford explains how on the track “Endymion,” the melody creates its own rhythm in a style influenced by Ornette Coleman and Keith Jarrett.

Get into the swing of the Holiday Season with Music From The Happy Elf!
The Indianapolis Star calls Harry Connick, Jr.’s newest collection of instrumental jazz trio music “as catchy as Vince Guaraldi’s fabled ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ tunes,” and BuffaloNews.com says this album is “some of Connick’s most clever and rhythmically winsome piano-playing on disc in quite a while…” Downbeat includes Music From The Happy Elf in their holiday roundup here. Marsalis Music is pleased to offer the exclusive bundle of The Happy Elf book with the Music From The Happy Elf CD on our website- order a copy today!

A Duo of Duos in New York City
Marsalis Music is pleased to present a very special evening of performances on January 9, 2012 at The Allen Room in Frederick P. Rose Hall, Home of Jazz At Lincoln Center, New York, New York. Branford Marsalis and his Quartet’s longtime pianist Joey Calderazzo will perform music from their June 2011 release Songs of Mirth and Melancholy, and then Harry Connick, Jr. will join his longtime hometown friend Marsalis for a set of saxophone/piano duo music that will highlight the pair’s comfort in pushing each other’s musical boundaries. For special ticket packages available and more info, please visit www.branfordmarsalis.com.

Other Branford performances
Tickets make great holiday gifts!
  

 
More Branford Marsalis performance dates here!

The Mountaintop is on Broadway through January 22
Branford Marsalis wrote original music for the current Broadway play, The Mountaintop. Visit the play’s official website for more information and to purchase tickets- this critically acclaimed production is only running through January 22, 2012.

Giving Thanks
The Thanksgiving holiday gave us a chance to reflect upon all the people who made a contribution to us in some way this past year, and so we’d like to extend special thanks to the following:

Berklee College of Music
Charles Cardello of Bifocal Media
Austin and Brian at Eyes and Ears Entertainment
David González
Steven Jurgensmeyer
Paul at Panopticon
Stephen Sheffield
Keith Sirchio
Mason at Zivtech
 
And, of course, Our Fans!

Warm Regards and Happy Holidays!
Marsalis Music