Show notes
About Branford Marsalis: Branford Marsalis has stayed the course. From his early acclaim as a saxophonist bringing new energy and new audiences to the jazz art, he has refined and expanded his talents and his horizons as a musician, composer, bandleader and educator – a 21st-century mainstay of artistic excellence. Growing up in the rich environment of New Orleans, his first instrument, the clarinet, gave way to the alto and then the tenor and soprano saxophones when the teenage Branford began working in local bands. A growing fascination with jazz as he entered college gave him the basic tools to obtain his first major jobs, with trumpet legend Clark Terry and alongside his brother Wynton in Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers. When the brothers left to form the Wynton Marsalis Quintet, the world of uncompromising acoustic jazz was invigorated. Branford formed his quartet in 1986 and, with a few minor interruptions in the early years, has sustained the unit as his primary means of expression. Branford has not confined his music to the quartet context, however. Classical music inhabits a growing portion of Branford's musical universe. A frequent soloist with classical ensembles, Branford has become increasingly sought after as a featured soloist with such acclaimed orchestras as the Chicago, Detroit, Düsseldorf, and North Carolina Symphonies and the New York Philharmonic. Branford’s screen credits include the original music for Mo’ Better Blues and acting roles in School Daze and Throw Momma from the Train. Branford has also shared his knowledge as an educator, forming extended teaching relationships at Michigan State, San Francisco State and North Carolina Central Universities and conducting workshops at sites throughout the United States and the world. As for other public stages, Branford spent a period touring with Sting, collaborated with the Grateful Dead and Bruce Hornsby and served as musical director of the tonight show starring Jay Leno. Some might gauge Branford Marsalis's success by his numerous awards, including three Grammys and (together with his father and brothers) his citation as a jazz master by the national endowment for the arts. To Branford, however, these are only way stations along what continues to be one of the most fascinating and rewarding journeys in the world of music.
Show Notes: Growing up in a musical family and a musical city. In New Orleans playing an instrument is cool for kids. There are ridiculous amounts of musicians in New Orleans and they all work. Studying at Berkeley College of Music. Organising musicians for the National Basketball Association half-time show. Building a massive sound vocabulary. Melody should be at the top of the list. The challenge of music was to be like a chameleon. It’s not music law, it’s music theory. Orchestral appearances were never really part of the plan. There’s only one way to get better at anything, go out and be really bad at it in front of people. I’m in it to play better. I believe that the only way to eliminate mistakes is by making them. I never met a man that improved by kissing his own ass. Children are more resilient than many adults, if they are allowed to be resilient. You learn how to create sounds that evoke an emotional effect. There’s a lot of music written for the saxophone, I would hesitate to call it great. I’m a nerd, so I’m all about technical mastery, but not at the expense of musical mastery. Everything you learn makes you better. In a niche, you have dedicated yourself to a very limited career. There’s certain things you have to practise do every day. Improvisation is supposed to feel like it’s happening right in front of you, not like it’s meticulously prepared. I was terrified when I played with the New York Philharmonic. Recording is documenting how I thought about music at a given point in time. Hearing is harder than knowing. You have to be willing to be bad at something for a long time to get good at it. My job is to prepare for all inevitabilities, and when they show up, we can do them or we can’t.
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