Celebrating the birthday of Ellis Marsalis!

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis recorded numerous albums and was featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons were group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Sadly, Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020, at 85. Ellis Marsalis was beloved by all, not just for his musical talent, but his gift to his students, his City, and the world. He was a truly great musician and educator, and he is sorely missed. Today we celebrate his life, and we are thankful to have had him as part of our lives.

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231

Celebrating the birthday of Ellis Marsalis!

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis recorded numerous albums and was featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons were group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Sadly, Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020, at 85. Ellis Marsalis was beloved by all, not just for his musical talent, but his gift to his students, his City, and the world. He was a truly great musician and educator, and he is sorely missed. Today we celebrate his life, and we are thankful to have had him as part of our lives.

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231

Celebrating the birthday of Ellis Marsalis!

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis recorded numerous albums and was featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons were group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Sadly, Marsalis passed away on April 1, 2020, at 85. Ellis Marsalis was beloved by all, not just for his musical talent, but his gift to his students, his City, and the world. He was a truly great musician and educator, and he is sorely missed. Today we celebrate his life, and we are thankful to have had him as part of our lives.

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231

Beloved New Orleans musician and educator Ellis Marsalis has passed away at 85.

Beloved pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis passed away today at age 85. Born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934, Marsalis was the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis focused on teaching, influencing the careers of many musicians. A Louisiana Music Hall of Fame inductee, he and his sons are group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Marsalis was an immeasurable talent whose loss will be felt by all in New Orleans and by music lovers around the world. Rest in peace, Ellis.

Photo by: Lee Paxton - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Leepaxton

Happy Birthday, Ellis Marsalis! 11/14

Pianist, composer and music educator Ellis Marsalis was born in New Orleans on November 14, 1934. Marsalis is the patriarch of a musical family, with internationally famous sons, saxophonist Branford and trumpeter Wynton, as well as accomplished jazz musicians, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason. Marsalis played with Al Hirt and other musicians in the 1950s and ‘60s, and in the ‘70s he taught at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and became a leading educator there, as well as at the University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. His students have included New Orleans musicians Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison,  Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton. Marsalis has recorded numerous albums and has been featured on the recordings of many musicians, but he has focused his efforts on teaching, encouraging students to listen and experiment. As a result, he has influenced the careers of many musicians, and in 2007 he received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University for his contributions to jazz and musical education. And, in 2008, Ellis Marsalis was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame. A further honor was bestowed on him when the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians' Village in New Orleans was named in his honor, and in 2011 he and his sons are group recipients of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. Happy birthday to a truly great musician and educator!

Photo by: Leepaxton at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4375231