Branford Marsalis News

Branford Marsalis/Joey Calderazzo: Songs of Mirth and Melancholy

Publication: Financial Times

Author: Mike Hobart
Date: August 13, 2011

Haunting sax entwines with rhapsodic piano in this largely original repertoire

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis has an equally full-bodied tone on this lovely studio recording with pianist Joey Calderazzo, but here the emphasis is more on melodic purity and the cadences of classical romance than urban grit.

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Submitted by Bobby on August 15th, 2011 — 10:08am

Review: Saxophonist Branford Marsalis finds a finger-snapping groove with the Philadelphians

Publication: The Saratogian
Author: Judith White
Date: August 11, 2011

A nearly full moon smiled down on a large, enthusiastic Wednesday night audience for the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

Up front was the amazing saxophonist Branford Marsalis, debuting his classical music talents here with the Philadelphians, and conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, in a first-time SPAC performance.

I hope you were there: this was a truly original performance, new and different for this venue, and filled with energy and life. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on August 11th, 2011 — 04:32pm

Branford Marsalis and the Philadelphia Orchestra @ SPAC 8/10/11

Publication: TimesUnion.com
Author: Joseph Dalton
Date: August 11, 2011

SARATOGA SPRINGS -  Whose presence — the soloist, the conductor or certain composers — most enlivened Wednesday’s concert of the Philadelphia Orchestra is hard to pinpoint.  But it was nearly impossible to walk out of the amphitheater at the end of the evening without a lively beat or a good tune in your pocket.

The headliner was saxophonist Branford Marsalis.  Better known for his roots in jazz, he performed beautifully in two brief and colorful concertos. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on August 11th, 2011 — 04:48pm

ELLIS MARSALIS CENTER FOR MUSIC TO OPEN IN NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS’ VILLAGE

Ellis Marsalis Center for MusicELLIS MARSALIS CENTER FOR MUSIC TO OPEN IN NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS’ VILLAGE

Center Named for Legendary Pianist and Educator Will Serve the Upper Ninth Ward and the Wider New Orleans Community


Musicians’ Village, Upper Ninth Ward, New Orleans, LA – August 8, 2011:  On August 25, 2011, as the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina approaches, one of the most positive responses to the catastrophe that devastated New Orleans will be unveiled – The Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.  Located at 1901 Bartholomew Street in the heart of the Musicians’ Village in the Upper Ninth Ward, and named for one of the city’s most influential pianists, educators and living legends, the Center will serve as a state of the art facility for the preservation and ongoing development of New Orleans music and culture.
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Submitted by Ben on August 9th, 2011 — 04:21pm

Jazz to classical – Branford Marsalis appears with the Philadelphia Orchestra

Publication: The Times Union
Author: Joseph Dalton
Date: August 7, 2011

“Close enough for jazz” is a fun, shorthand way of saying that something’s “good enough.”  Just don’t use the phrase in the presence of a serious jazz musician.

The expression certainly didn’t come up in conversation with saxophonist Branford Marsalis, who will be performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra on Wednesday night at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.  But Marsalis did speak with surprising candor about the discipline and rigor involved in classical music. Read more »

Submitted by Bobby on August 8th, 2011 — 11:46am