A Conversation with Delfeayo Marsalis

Piece Description

Delfeayo, the third son in the acclaimed family—after Branford and Wynton, is one of the top trombonists and producers working in jazz today. Early on, Delfeayo was attracted to both performing and producing. He began playing the trombone when he was 13 and produced his first recording at the age of 17—for his father, jazz pianist, Ellis Marsalis.

Performing internationally with some of the great bandleaders, like Slide Hampton, Max Roach, and Elvin Jones, Delfeayo developed his musical chops both on the stage and in the studio. From an early age, he was interested in producing music that preserved an acoustic jazz sound. The recordings he produced for his brother Branford in the 1980s using a rich acoustic bass sound as opposed to the amped up bass direct—was key in changing jazz recording techniques. In fact, Delfeayo’s production work earned him a Grammy as well as a 3M Visionary Award.

Committed to arts education, Delfeayo founded the Uptown Music Theater in 2000 as a way of preserving and passing on New Orleans’ great cultural traditions to younger generations.

He’s also earned wide acclaim as a composer, writing over 80 songs that introduce jazz to kids, and releasing four cds as a bandleader. His most recent is the ambitious Sweet Thunder, a modern interpretation of the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn suite, Such Sweet Thunder.