Wynton Marsalis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wynton Marsalis
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Marsalis at the Oskar Schindler Performing Arts Center Seventh Annual Jazz Festival in 2009
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Wynton Learson Marsalis |
| Born | October 18, 1961 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz, post-bop, mainstream, dixieland, classical |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer, educator, artistic director |
| Instruments | Trumpet |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Labels | Columbia, Sony, Blue Note, Marsalis Music |
| Associated acts | Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra |
Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is a famous American trumpet player. He is also a talented composer, which means he writes music. Wynton is a music teacher too.
He is the artistic director at a big music place called Jazz at Lincoln Center. Wynton loves to share classical and jazz music. He especially enjoys teaching young people about music.
Wynton has won nine Grammy Awards. These awards are like the Oscars for music! His special music piece called Blood on the Fields won a big award. It was the first jazz music to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Wynton is also unique because he won Grammy Awards for both jazz and classical music in the same year. He is the only musician ever to do this.
Contents
Getting Started with Music
Wynton Marsalis was born on October 18, 1961. His hometown is New Orleans, Louisiana, a very musical city. He grew up nearby in a town called Kenner. Wynton was the second of six brothers.
His parents were Dolores Ferdinand Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis Jr.. His father was a great pianist and music teacher. Wynton was named after another famous jazz piano player, Wynton Kelly. His older brother is Branford Marsalis. His younger brothers are Jason Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis. All of his brothers became jazz musicians too!
One day, when Wynton's dad was with famous trumpet players, they joked. They said Wynton should get a trumpet. A trumpet player named Al Hirt offered to give him one. That's how six-year-old Wynton got his first trumpet!
Wynton didn't start practicing seriously until he was 12. He went to Benjamin Franklin High School. He also studied at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He learned classical music at school. At home, he learned jazz music from his dad. He even played in funk bands. He also played in a marching band led by Danny Barker.
Wynton was a very talented young musician. He played his trumpet with the New Orleans Civic Orchestra. When he was just 14, he won a music competition! His prize was to play a trumpet concerto with the New Orleans Philharmonic. A concerto is a special piece for a solo instrument and an orchestra.
Two years later, he played another famous piece. It was the Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by Bach. By age 17, he was so good. He got into the Tanglewood Music Center. This is a special music camp. He was one of the youngest people ever accepted there.
When it was time for college, Wynton applied to two top music schools. These were the Juilliard School and Northwestern University. He got into both schools. He decided to go to Juilliard.
Becoming a Professional Musician
In 1979, Wynton moved to New York City. He went there to study trumpet at the famous Juilliard School. He planned to become a classical musician. But his plans changed!
In 1980, he got a chance to tour Europe. He toured with the Art Blakey band. He became a member of Blakey's group, The Jazz Messengers. He played with them until 1982. He left Juilliard in 1981. He did not finish his degree. He wanted to focus on his music career.
Playing with Art Blakey made Wynton realize something. He wanted to focus on jazz music. He said his time with Blakey helped him make this choice. He made his first recording with Blakey. A year later, he toured with another jazz legend, Herbie Hancock.
Soon after, Wynton signed a record deal with Columbia. He released his first album all by himself. In 1982, he started his own band. It was a quintet, a group of five musicians. This band included his brother Branford Marsalis. It also had Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff "Tain" Watts.
Three years later, Branford and Kenny Kirkland left. They went to play with the rock star Sting. So, Wynton formed a new quartet. A quartet is a group of four musicians. This group had Marcus Roberts on piano. It also featured Robert Hurst on double bass. That's the big string instrument. Watts was on drums. Over time, more talented musicians joined his band. These included Wessell Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, and Eric Reed.
Who Inspired Wynton's Music?
Wynton has said that many great musicians helped him. They shaped his playing style. Some of his heroes are jazz legends. These include Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Thelonious Monk.
He also looked up to famous trumpet players. These were Harry Sweets Edison, Clark Terry, Cootie Williams, Clifford Brown, and Freddie Hubbard. Early jazz pioneers like Jelly Roll Morton influenced him. Classical trumpet players like Maurice André also did.
Wynton Marsalis is more than just a musician. He is also a great teacher. He speaks up for music. One writer even called him a "21st-century Leonard Bernstein." Leonard Bernstein was a very famous musician and teacher. He helped many people understand music.
Leading Jazz at Lincoln Center
In 1987, Wynton Marsalis helped create a summer concert series. It was called "Classical Jazz." It took place at Lincoln Center in New York City. Lincoln Center is a huge place for arts. It has music and theater.
These concerts were very popular. So, "Jazz at Lincoln Center" became its own special department. By 1996, it became a separate organization. It was like other famous groups there. These include the New York Philharmonic orchestra. The Metropolitan Opera is another one.
Wynton became the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. This means he is in charge of the music and artistic ideas. He also leads the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He is its musical director. This amazing orchestra plays concerts at their home base, Rose Hall. They also travel around the world on tour. They visit schools to teach kids about jazz. They perform on TV and radio. They even make their own albums. These are through their label, Blue Engine Records.
In 2011, Wynton Marsalis worked with famous rock guitarist Eric Clapton. They had a special concert at Jazz at Lincoln Center. They recorded the concert. It was released as an album. It was called Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Sharing Music in Many Ways
Wynton Marsalis does more than just play the trumpet. He also leads an orchestra. He is a dedicated teacher. He shares his love for music in many other ways.
Teaching Through TV and Radio
In 1995, Wynton hosted a TV show for kids and families. It was called Marsalis on Music. It helped people learn about music in a fun way. In the same year, he had a radio series. It was called Making the Music. Both of these shows were very good. They won a very important award. It was called the George Foster Peabody Award. This is a top prize in broadcasting.
Music for Movies and More
Wynton Marsalis also wrote music for a movie. He arranged it, meaning he planned the parts for instruments. He played music for the 2019 movie Bolden. This movie was about an early jazz musician.
He has also written new classical music. The famous Philadelphia Orchestra played a Violin Concerto he wrote in 2015. A concerto is a piece for a solo instrument and orchestra. They also played a Tuba Concerto he composed in 2021.
More recently, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra announced plans. They will record Wynton's Blues Symphony. This will be with conductor Jader Bignamini. The album will be released in March 2025.
Other Cool Projects
- In 2005, Wynton played his trumpet at a big event for Apple. They introduced new computers and iPods. He was even in an iPod TV commercial in 2006. It featured his song "Sparks."
- In December 2011, he became a special reporter on culture. This was for the TV show CBS This Morning.
- He helps advise a learning website called CuriosityStream.
- He is also the director of Jazz Studies at the Juilliard School. He once studied there himself.
- In 2015, Cornell University gave him a special title. He became an A.D. White Professor-at-Large.
Wynton's Ideas About Jazz
Wynton Marsalis is known for loving a style of jazz. It is called straight-ahead jazz. This style often uses traditional jazz instruments and sounds. It does not use newer electronic instruments. Those became popular in the 1970s and 1980s.
Wynton believes that real jazz music should have certain important parts. These include:
- The feeling of the blues. This is a type of sad, soulful music.
- Playing well-known jazz songs called "standards."
- A "swing beat" that makes you want to tap your feet.
- Good skills and understanding of jazz history. This goes from early New Orleans jazz up to musicians like Ornette Coleman.
Different Opinions in Music
Not everyone always agrees on what makes music "good." This is normal in the art world! Artists often have different ideas.
Some people think Wynton focuses too much on older styles of jazz. They think he does not appreciate newer kinds of jazz as much. For example, some musicians in the 1970s mixed jazz with rock music. This was called fusion. Wynton was not a big fan of this style.
Wynton Marsalis also had strong opinions about other music. He and another jazz legend, Miles Davis, sometimes disagreed. Miles Davis started using rock and pop music sounds in his jazz. Wynton felt this was like turning away from true jazz. Wynton has also shared his thoughts on rap and hip-hop music.
Wynton understands that when you share strong opinions, not everyone will agree. He believes it is important to discuss and even disagree about art and music.
Family and Personal Life
Wynton Marsalis comes from a very musical family!
- His father was the late jazz musician Ellis Marsalis Jr.. He played the piano.
- His grandfather was Ellis Marsalis Sr.
- His brothers are also musicians: Branford Marsalis plays saxophone. Delfeayo Marsalis plays trombone and produces music. Jason Marsalis plays drums.
Wynton has a son named Jasper Armstrong Marsalis. He is also in the music world. He is a producer known as Slauson Malone 1. Wynton Marsalis grew up in the Catholic faith.
Amazing Awards and Recognitions
Wynton Marsalis is one of the most celebrated musicians today. He has received many awards for his talent. He also gets awards for sharing music with the world.
Grammy Gold!
- In 1983, Wynton was only 22. He did something amazing. He won Grammy Awards for both jazz AND classical music in the same year! He is the only musician ever to do that. He even did it again the next year!
- He has won a total of nine Grammy Awards.
Pulitzer Prize Winner
In 1997, Wynton Marsalis became the first jazz musician to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. He won it for his powerful musical piece Blood on the Fields. This was a huge moment for jazz music. A friend, Zarin Mehta, told him he wasn't surprised. He said the music "speaks to us all." He also said jazz legends like Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong would be proud.
Top Honors from the U.S. Government
Wynton has received some of the highest awards for artists in the United States:
- The National Medal of Arts
- The National Humanities Medal
- He was also named an NEA Jazz Master. This is a top honor for jazz musicians.
A Global Ambassador for Music
- In 2001, the United Nations named him a UN Messenger of Peace. This recognized his work in bringing people together through music.
- He has sold about seven million albums all over the world. He has performed in 30 countries. He has been on every continent except Antarctica.
- Countries like France have given him high honors. They made him a Knight in the Order of Arts and Literature. They also gave him the Legion of Honour. This is France's top award, given in 2008.
- A city in Spain, Vitoria, even gave him its gold medal. A town in France, Marciac, put up a bronze statue of him. This was for his help with their jazz festival.
- In 2023, he won the Praemium Imperiale. This is a global arts prize from Japan.
More Special Awards
- DownBeat magazine is a famous jazz publication. They named him Musician of the Year. They also named him Best Trumpeter. His album was Album of the Year. This was right after his first record came out in 1982. In 2017, he was added to the DownBeat Hall of Fame.
- He has received many honorary degrees. These are special diplomas from famous universities. These include Harvard, Princeton, New York University, and the University of Michigan. This shows how much universities respect his knowledge.
- He has also won awards like the Dutch Edison Award. He won the French Grand Prix du Disque. Britain's Royal Academy of Music made him an honorary member.
Grammy Awards List
Wynton Marsalis has won Grammy Awards for:
- Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for Think of One (1983), Hot House Flowers (1984), and Black Codes (From the Underground) (1985).
- Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Individual or Group for Black Codes (From the Underground) (1985), J Mood (1986), and Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. I (1987).
- Best Instrumental Soloist(s) Performance (with orchestra) for Haydn, Hummel, L. Mozart: Trumpet Concertos (1983) and Wynton Marsalis, Edita Gruberova: Handel, Purcell, Torelli, Fasch, Molter (1984).
- Best Spoken Word Album for Children for Listen to the Storytellers (2000). He won this for a recording where he helped tell stories.
Discography
Books by Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis has also written several books:
- Sweet Swing Blues on the Road with Frank Stewart (1994)
- Marsalis on Music (1995) – This book was based on his TV series.
- Jazz in the Bittersweet Blues of Life with Carl Vigeland (2002)
- To a Young Jazz Musician: Letters from the Road with Selwyn Seyfu Hinds (2004) – This book gives advice for young musicians.
- Jazz ABZ: An A to Z Collection of Jazz Portraits with Paul Rogers (2007) – A fun book about jazz.
- Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life with Geoffrey Ward (2008)
- Squeak, Rumble, Whomp! Whomp! Whomp!: A Sonic Adventure with Paul Rogers (2012) – This is a children's book about sounds.
See also
In Spanish: Wynton Marsalis para niños
