Marsalis, Wyntonm 1962-

MUSICIAN, COMPOSER

A Life in Music.

The second of six sons born to Ellis and Dolores Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis cannot recall a time when music was unimportant to him. His father is an accomplished jazz pianist, and three of his brothers—saxophonist Branford, trombonist Delfeayo, and drummer Jason—are also jazz musicians. Wynton Marsalis began to play the trumpet seriously in 1974, at the age of twelve. While in high school, he performed with funk, jazz, and marching bands, as well as with symphony orchestras. He later attended the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, and in 1980 he joined Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers and signed a recording contract with Columbia Records. By 1999 Marsalis had released forty recordings and sold more than eight million records worldwide. He has earned eight Grammy Awards for jazz and classical recordings and a ninth for his contribution to an album of stories for children. In...

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