Photo of the Day: November 27, 2009
Car Pushed Into Anacostia River By Train
Morning Roundup: Black Friday Edition
Devendra Banhart @ 9:30 Club
Ellis Marsalis
Joining Ellis were his sons, each of whom bring a different quality to the music. Saxophonist Branford has the wit and the largest breadth of experience, having played with Sting, his own top flight quartet, and most recently becoming a prominent featured soloist with classical ensembles. Trumpeter Wynton is more or less the jazz community's chief spokesman, and is the most visible jazz musician of his generation. Delfeayo Marsalis spent much of the 1980s and '90s behind the scenes as a producer and engineer, but has since established a fine career as a trombonist. The youngest of the musical Marsalises is drummer/percussionist Jason. His brothers tout him as the most naturally gifted player, who also has perfect pitch and an encyclopedic knowledge of music. There is also a younger Ellis, who does not play music, but the poet/photographer's moving spoken word tribute to his father, titled "Man and the Ocean," raised goosebumps nonetheless.
Louis Jordan's jump swing classic, "Choo Choo Cha-Boogie", opened the set and featured the vocal talents of Herlin Riley, a master New Orleans drummer who has been long associated with the Marsalis family. The swinger opened a program, selected by Wynton and Delfeayo, that mirrored their father's biography, choosing this tune because it was popular at the time of their parents' courtship. Other songs included "Donna Lee", the furiously uptempo be-bop staple that featured Jason Marsalis' prodigious whistling talents, "Monkey Puzzle", an Ellis original recorded in the early 60s, and "Over in the Glory Land", a classic New Orleans parade hymn that featured Riley on the drums.
Special guests included the great Dr. Billy Taylor, longtime artistic director for jazz at the Kennedy Center, and the night's biggest celebrity, Harry Connick, Jr., who studied with Ellis Marsalis as a child. Each joined Marsalis for a duet, and Connick remained on stage to deliver a Sinatra-esque rendition of "Stardust". If the night had one misstep, it was bringing Connick out after Taylor. While Connick has talent, on this stage he was simply outclassed and outplayed.
There was much in the way of great music and pomp, but the most memorable aspect of last night's show was the warm atmosphere in the room that resulted from the interaction between the elder Marsalis and his supremely talented offspring. Each brother shared stories, sometimes teasing, sometimes loving, but always funny, that showed different aspects of their father's personality. The boys also paid loving tribute to their mother, Delores, who did not take the stage, but whose influence was obvious.
As Ellis put it,"They say there's a good woman behind every man, but she was always next to me or leading the way."
This is the sentiment that brought the crowd to its feet when the trumpet sounded off a second line march that took the band through the audience to end the evening.
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how the heck is Connick 'the biggest celebrity in the room' when you've got Mr. Billy Taylor, and the entire Marsalis musical legacy on stage? Are you crazy?
Connick is a mere imitator (and a poor one at that) of traditional, and modern jazz (as are most people out side of the true jazz culture).
As you stated in your article - Connick 'studied under' the Marsalises.
Get a clue.