Wynton Marsalis

Sound

Wynton Marsalis

Born 1961-10-18 · New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Wynton Learson Marsalis (born October 18, 1961) is an American trumpeter, composer, and music instructor, who is currently the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. He has been active in promoting classical and jazz music, often to young audiences. Marsalis has won nine Grammy Awards, and his oratorio Blood on the Fields was the first jazz composition to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Marsalis is the only musician to have won a Grammy Award in both jazz and classical categories in the same year. Marsalis was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, on October 18, 1961, and grew up in the suburb of Kenner. He is the second of six sons born to Dolores Ferdinand Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis Jr., a pianist and music teacher. He was named after jazz pianist Wynton Kelly. Branford Marsalis is his older brother and Jason Marsalis and Delfeayo Marsalis are younger. All three are jazz musicians. While sitting at a table with trumpeters Al Hirt, Miles Davis, and Clark Terry, his father jokingly suggested that he might as well get Wynton a trumpet, too. Hirt volunteered to give him one, so at the age of six Marsalis received his first trumpet. Although he owned a trumpet when he was six, he did not practice much until he was 12. He attended Benjamin Franklin High School and the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He studied classical music at school and jazz at home with his father. He played in funk bands and a marching band led by Danny Barker. He performed on trumpet publicly as the only black musician in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra. After winning a music contest at fourteen, he performed Joseph Haydn's trumpet concerto with the New Orleans Philharmonic. Two years later he performed Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major by Bach. At seventeen, he was one of the youngest musicians admitted to Tanglewood Music Center. Marsalis applied to only two music colleges, the Juilliard School and Northwestern University. He was accepted to both schools and chose to attend the former. In 1979, he moved to New York City to attend the Juilliard School for a Bachelor of Music in trumpet performance, leaving in 1981 without earning a degree. He intended to pursue a career in classical music. In 1980, he toured Europe as a member of the Art Blakey band, becoming a member of The Jazz Messengers and remaining with Blakey until 1982. He changed his mind about his career and turned to jazz. He has said that years of playing with Blakey influenced his decision. He recorded for the first time with Blakey and one year later he went on tour with Herbie Hancock. After signing a contract with Columbia, he recorded his first solo album. In 1982, he established a quintet with his brother Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff "Tain" Watts. When Branford and Kenny Kirkland left three years later to record and tour with Sting, Marsalis formed a quartet, this time with Marcus Roberts on piano, Robert Hurst on double bass, and Watts on drums. After a while, the band expanded to include Wessell Anderson, Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, Herlin Riley, Reginald Veal, and Todd Williams. ... Source: Article "Wynton Marsalis" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.

Acting credits

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Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang become involved in a supernatural mystery in Egypt.

Scooby-Doo! in Where's My Mummy?

2005

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Never-before-heard personal recordings and archival footage tell the story of Louis Armstrong's life from his perspective. From musical phenom to civil rights activist to world-renowned artist, this illuminating film shows sides of Armstrong few have seen.

Louis Armstrong's Black & Blues

2022

The N Word poster
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An exploration of the history of the word throughout its inception to present day. Woven into the narrative are poetry, music, and commentary from celebrities about their personal experiences with the word and their viewpoints. Each perspective is unique, as is each experience... some are much more comfortable with the word than others.

The N Word

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It's Black Entertainment poster
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A star-studded tribute (from the creators of That's Entertainment) to the contributions of Afro-Americans in film over the last century. Vanessa Williams traces the struggles and triumphs of the superstars of music and film. Among the many artists featured are: Whitney Houston, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr., Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Cab Calloway, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, and Little Richard, Also included are today's contemporary superstars: Snoop Dogg, Ice T, Quincy Jones, Spike Lee, Russell Simmons, and many, more! 80 minutes plus DVD bonus features.

It's Black Entertainment

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Tune in Tomorrow... poster
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Martin works at the local radio station, which just hired a new scriptwriter with a reputation for great drama, Pedro Carmichael. Martin’s aunt Julia, not related by blood, returns home after many years away and Martin falls for her. Once Pedro finds out about this romance, he starts incorporating details of it into the script of his daily drama series. Soon, Martin and Julia are not only hearing about their fictional selves over the radio, but about what they are going to do next.

Tune in Tomorrow...

1990

Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast poster
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A one-hour, commercial-free benefit concert television special that aired simulcast worldwide on September 9, 2005, at 8 pm ET/CT live.

Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast

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On the Shoulders of Giants poster
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The story of the Harlem Rens: the greatest basketball team you never heard of.

On the Shoulders of Giants

2011

No artwork available
NR

Stevie Wonder hosts a two-hour special with celebrity guests gathered to salute Martin Luther King Jr. on the first national holiday honoring the late civil rights leader. Participants include Elizabeth Taylor, Bill Cosby, Eddie Murphy, Cyndi Lauper, Gregory Hines, Yoko Ono, Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Patti LaBelle, Cicely Tyson, the Pointer Sisters, Andre Crouch, the Alvin Ailey Dancers, Quincy Jones, Dick Gregory, Joan Baez, Richard Dreyfuss, Peter, Paul and Mary, Amy Grant and Debbie Allen.

An All-Star Celebration Honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

1986

Hargrove poster
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Follows Grammy award-winning Roy Hargrove during the last year of his life and illuminates his impact on Black music while delving into themes of power, race and ethics in the music industry.

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2022

Chasing Trane poster
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An account of the life of the brilliant jazz musician John Coltrane (1926-67), a gifted saxophonist, an extraordinarily talented thinker whose original, avant-garde work has impacted and influenced people all over the world. A story about music's ability to entertain, inspire and transform.

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2017

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The stars come out on Sesame Street in this fun-filled video featuring the show's most memorable moments. Sing-along in this star-studded celebration!

Sesame Street: Put Down the Duckie

1988

Find Your Groove poster
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In this uplifitng documentary, stars and musicians from across the industry speak to the power and importance of music in society. Here we examine how close we came to not having many of the incredible artists who we cherish today had it not been for arts programs. Music has the power to inspire and change world, and that starts with our supporting young talent.

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2020

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90 poster
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19-time Grammy Award-winner Tony Bennett's 90th birthday is celebrated by a host of celebrities in this two-hour music special held at Radio City Music Hall, New York City, with musical performances by Bennett, Andrea Bocelli, Michael Bublé, Lady Gaga, Billy Joel, Elton John, Diana Krall, k.d. lang, Leslie Odom Jr., Rufus Wainwright and Stevie Wonder.

Tony Bennett Celebrates 90

2016

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon poster
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Chronicles the career of the titular Grammy Award-winning folk-pop singer-songwriter. The documentary also follows Simon’s journey creating his new album, Seven Psalms. The track on the record pose questions about faith and mortality, particularly during the pandemic, and also feature him contending with his hearing loss. Gibney and Simon also journey through a dreamlike world of storytelling that transcends both time and space, as it moves freely between present and past. The movie also offers a unique peek into Simon’s entire career, from Tom & Jerry to Simon & Garfunkel and the triumphs of Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints.

In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon

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Song of Lahore poster
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Until the late 1970s, the Pakistani city of Lahore was world-renowned for its music. Following the Islamization of Pakistan, many artists struggled to continue their life's work. Song of Lahore turns the spotlight on a group of stalwart musicians that kept playing and ultimately attracted listeners from around the world.

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2015

Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! poster
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Big Bird and his pals are making musical mayhem as they sing the goofiest, nuttiest, silliest songs ever. Join in with Sesame Street favorites Oscar, Ernie, the Count, and more as they tickle your funny bone with tunes like, "Everything in the Wrong Place Ball," "Mary Had a Bicycle," and more. James Taylor drops by to sing "Jellyman Kelly," and Jeremy Irons, Jane Curtin, and Paul Simon lead an all-star cast of celebrities in the showstopper, "Put Down the Duckie." Songs: The Honker-Duckie-Dinger Jamboree; Ladybug Picnic; Jellyman Kelly; Wavin' Goodbye to You with My Heart; Old MacDonald Cantata; Everything in the Wrong Place Ball; One Banana; Calcutta Joe; Mary Had a Bicycle; Ten Tiny Turtles on the Telephone; Put Down the Duckie.

Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly!

1990

Charles Mingus: Epitaph poster
NR

Conductor Gunther Schuller leads 30 renowned musicians in this spectacular world-premiere performance of Charles Mingus's epic composition, "Epitaph," filmed at Lincoln Center's Alice Tully Hall on June 3, 1989. Clocking in at more than two hours long, the landmark piece was unearthed only after the jazz legend's death in 1979. The orchestra includes such musical luminaries as Wynton Marsalis, Lew Soloff, Bobby Watson and Urbie Green.

Charles Mingus: Epitaph

1990

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans poster
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The true story of the neighborhood that inspired David Simon's fictional HBO television series "Tremé", from slave revolts and underground free black antebellum resistance through post-Katrina rebuilding, set to a fabulous soundtrack of New Orleans music through the ages.

Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans

2008

Willie Nelson / Wynton Marsalis - Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC poster
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When two musical icons like Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis join forces for a concert, you know you're in for something special and this DVD delivers exactly that. Filmed over two nights in January 2007 at New York's Lincoln Center, this magical show sees Willie and Wynton combine their unique talents in a blend of jazz, blues and country music which takes in Willie Nelson originals, traditional songs and standards by the likes of Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy Reed and Duke Ellington. The tracks are intercut with interview segments in which Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis give fascinating insights into the choice of songs they performed and the intoxicating mix of musical styles that resulted. 1) Rainy Day Blues 2) Georgia On My Mind 3) Bright Lights, Big City 4) Basin Street Blues 5) Caldonia 6) Night Life 7) Stardust 8) My Bucket's Got A Hole In It 9) Ain't Nobody's Business 10) Don't Get Around Much Anymore 11) Sweet Georgia Brown 12) That's All 13) Down By The Riverside

Willie Nelson / Wynton Marsalis - Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center, NYC

2008

Jazz 100 poster
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100 years of Russian jazz history in one groundbrea­king documentary movie.

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2023

The Worlds of Harry Connick Jr. poster
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Narrated by Connick himself in a candid look at his own life and career, the program features interviews with jazz greats Branford and Wynton Marsalis and their father, Ellis Marsalis.

The Worlds of Harry Connick Jr.

1999

Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog poster
7.5

Don McGlynn's uncompromising and soulful documentary look at the tumultuous life of musician and rebel Charles Mingus is fascinating stuff. Mingus said of himself "I am half black man, half yellow man, but I claim to be a Negro. I am Charles Mingus, the famed jazz musician--but not famed enough to make a living in America." His statement summed up the conflict that plagued this musical genius his entire life: volatility, pain, prescience, and raw rage roiled inside a complex man, composer, bass player, and trombonist who transcended labels and refused to be pigeonholed into a single musical style--and who did not achieve real fame until late in his career.

Charles Mingus: Triumph of the Underdog

1997

Live from Abbey Road: Best of Season 1 poster
NR

Features highlights from the first season of the Channel 4 show LIVE FROM ABBEY ROAD, which saw various musical artists perform live at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. The show took the artists into the hallowed studios, and with the only audience being the TV cameras and technicians, they recorded a selection of songs later broadcast in the twelve hour-long episodes. Augmented with interviews, the shows cut through the normal visual effects and studio trickery to showcase the music itself. The 2-disc DVD brings together some of the best performances from the whole series, along with some additional goodies.

Live from Abbey Road: Best of Season 1

2006

VA - Jazz Intermezzo Vol.1 poster
5.0

No synopsis available yet.

VA - Jazz Intermezzo Vol.1

2013

Behind the camera