The Other Marsalis — Who Might Be the Most Interesting One
Branford Marsalis was born on August 26, 1960, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, and grew up in New Orleans — the eldest of the six Marsalis brothers, all of whom became musicians. In a family where his younger brother Wynton became the most famous jazz musician of his generation, Branford carved out something arguably more interesting: a career that refused to be defined by any single genre, any single tradition, or anyone else's expectations.
The Saxophone
Branford studied at the Berklee College of Music and then Southern University before joining Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers alongside Wynton. The brothers left Blakey to form their own quintet, and for a time in the early 1980s, the Marsalis brothers were the face of the young jazz movement — the musicians who were going to save jazz from fusion and bring it back to its acoustic, hard bop roots.
But Branford got restless. While Wynton doubled down on jazz purism, Branford started exploring. He joined Sting's rock band for two world tours. He played on sessions with the Grateful Dead, Tina Turner, and Public Enemy. He recorded classical music. He formed the Buckshot LeFonque project, which fused jazz with hip-hop and funk. He played on "Romances for Saxophone," a classical album. He scored Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing" and "Mo' Better Blues."
The Tonight Show
In 1992, Branford became the bandleader for "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," bringing jazz to network television five nights a week. The gig lasted three years, and it made Branford one of the most recognized musicians in America — the guy with the saxophone who played during the commercial breaks. It was, in many ways, the opposite of what jazz purists thought a serious musician should be doing, which was exactly why Branford did it.
The Quartet
Through all the genre-hopping and television work, Branford maintained the Branford Marsalis Quartet, which has been his primary artistic vehicle for over three decades. The quartet plays jazz that is rooted in tradition but open to everything — the same philosophy that has defined Branford's entire career. Albums like "Crazy People Music," "Requiem," and "Four MFs Playin' Tunes" are among the finest small-group jazz recordings of the past thirty years.
The Maverick Marsalis
Branford's relationship with his brother Wynton has been complicated by their different philosophies about jazz. Wynton is a traditionalist who believes jazz has specific boundaries that should be respected. Branford believes jazz is a living, evolving music that should absorb influences from everywhere. The disagreement is philosophical, not personal, but it represents one of the central debates in modern jazz — and the fact that both sides of the argument come from the same New Orleans family tells you everything about the depth of the city's musical culture.
Branford Marsalis is the Marsalis who followed his curiosity wherever it led — from Blakey to Sting to Leno to Spike Lee to the classical stage. He's the one who refused to be categorized, who treated all music as worthy of exploration, and who proved that a New Orleans musician doesn't have to choose between tradition and adventure. He chose both, and the music is richer for it.
Leave a comment
All comments are moderated before being published.
This site is protected by hCaptcha and the hCaptcha Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.