Branford Marsalis Biography (1960-)

Born August 26, 1960, in New Orleans (some sources say Breaux Bridge), LA; son of Ellis (a jazz pianist and high school music teacher) and Delores (a jazzsinger and substitute teacher) Marsalis; brother of Wynton Marsalis (a composer and actor); married Teresa Reese (an actress), 1985 (divorced, 1994); children: Reese Ellis. Addresses: Manager: Wilkins Management, 323 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139.; Contact: IMG Artist Worldwide, 825 Seventh Ave., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10019; 9520 Cedarbrook Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.

Nationality
American
Gender
Male
Occupation
Musician, recording artist, actor
Birth Details
August 26, 1960
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States

Famous Works

  • CREDITS
  • Television Appearances
  • Series
  • Band leader, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1992-1995
  • Host, Friday Night Videos, NBC, 1992-
  • Specials
  • Bring on the Night (also known as Sting: Bring on the Night), 1985
  • Song performer, "Oleo," "I Thought about You," and "Giant Steps," Newport Jazz '87, PBS, 1987
  • Song performer, "502 Blues," Jacksonville Jazz Festival VII, PBS,1987
  • Song performer, "I Mean You," Celebrating a Jazz Master: Thelonious Sphere Monk, PBS, 1987
  • Saxophone player, Sting in Tokyo, HBO, 1989
  • The 32nd Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1990
  • Victory and Valor: A Special Olympics All-Star Celebration, ABC, 1991
  • Story of a People: Expressions in Black, syndicated, 1991
  • Jazz at the Smithsonian: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 1991
  • The Music Tells You, 1992
  • Buddy Warren, "Without a Pass," Showtime Thirty-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1992
  • NBC Super Special All-Star Comedy Hour, NBC, 1993
  • Count on Me, PBS, 1993
  • The Best of Disney Music: A Legacy in Song--Part I, 1993
  • Narrator, Reed Royalty, Bravo, 1993
  • The Winans' Real Meaning of Christmas, syndicated, 1993
  • 40 for the Ages: Sports Illustrated's 40th Anniversary Special, NBC, 1994
  • Motown 40: The Music Is Forever (also known as Motown's 40th: ARetrospective), ABC, 1998
  • Vince Gill Live by Request, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
  • Newport Jazz `99, PBS, 1999
  • Men Strike Back, VH1, 2000
  • Interviewee, Ellis Marsalis: Jazz is Spoken Here (documentary), PBS, 2000
  • (Uncredited) Interviewee, Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story (documentary), TCM, 2002
  • Episodic
  • Late Night with David Letterman, 1985, 1988
  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1991
  • Himself, "The SAT Score Scam," Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, PBS, 1991
  • "Sleepless in Bel-Air," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1994
  • "Stop Will! In the Name of Love," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1993
  • "I Love This Game," Living Single, Fox, 1994
  • "Gum, Disease," Space Ghost Coast to Coast (animated), Cartoon Network, 1994
  • Soul Train, 1995
  • Late Show with David Letterman, 1995
  • Voice of the Frog Prince, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995
  • The Howard Stern Show, 1996
  • Hosted New Vision on VH1; appeared in Sesame Street, PBS; Evening at Pops, PBS; Sessions at West 54th, PBS.
  • Miniseries
  • Jazz, PBS, 2001
  • Television Work
  • Music director and arranger, Tonight Show with Jay Leno (series),NBC, 1992-1995
  • Music director, NBC Super Special All-Star Comedy Hour (special),NBC, 1993
  • Film Appearances
  • Lester, Throw Momma from the Train, Orion, 1987
  • Jordan (Da Fellas), School Daze, Columbia, 1988
  • Saxophone player, Do the Right Thing, 1989
  • Party guest, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
  • Saxophone player, Jazz at the Smithsonian: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 1990
  • Buddy Warren, Without a Pass, 1991
  • Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You, 1992
  • Saxophone player, Malcolm X, Warner Bros., 1992
  • Harry Delacroix, Eve's Bayou, Trimark Pictures, 1997
  • Radio Appearances
  • Series
  • Host of JazzSet, National Public Radio.
  • RECORDINGS
  • Solo Albums
  • Scenes in the City, Columbia, 1984
  • Royal Garden Blues, Columbia, 1986
  • Renaissance, Columbia, 1987
  • Random Abstract, Columbia, 1988
  • Trio Jeepy, Columbia, 1989
  • Crazy People Music, Columbia, 1990
  • The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, Columbia, 1991
  • I Heard You Twice the First Time, Columbia, 1992
  • Bloomington, Columbia, 1993
  • Dark Keys, Columbia, 1997
  • Requiem, Sony, 1999
  • Contemporary Jazz, Columbia, 2000
  • Creation, Sony, 2001
  • Other Albums
  • (Contributor) Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Live at Montreux and Northsea, Timeless, 1980
  • (With father Ellis Marsalis) Fathers and Sons, Columbia, 1981
  • (With brother Wynton Marsalis) Wynton Marsalis, Columbia, 1982
  • (With W. Marsalis) Think of One, Columbia, 1983
  • (With Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers) Keystone 3, Concord, 1983
  • (With Miles Davis) Decoy, Columbia, 1984
  • (With W. Marsalis) Hot House Flowers, Columbia, 1984
  • (With Andy Jaffe) Manhattan Projections, Stash, 1984
  • (Contributor) Dizzie Gillespie, Closer to the Source, Atlantic, 1984
  • (With W. Marsalis) Black Codes (from the Underground), Columbia, 1985
  • (With Sting) The Dream of The Blue Turtles, A&M, 1985
  • (Contributor) Dizzy Gillespie, New Faces, GRP, 1985
  • (With Sting) Bring On the Night, A&M, 1985
  • (Contributor) Kevin Eubanks, Opening Night, GRP, 1985
  • (With English Chamber Orchestra) Romances for Saxophone, Columbia,1986
  • (Contributor) Teena Marie, Emerald City, Epic, 1986
  • (Contributor) Tina Turner, Break Every Rule, Capitol, 1986
  • (With Duke Ellington Brass Band Orchestra) "Cottontail," on Digital Duke, GRP, 1987
  • (With Sting) Nothing Like the Sun, A&M, 1987
  • (Contributor) School Daze (soundtrack recording), 1988
  • Music from Mo' Better Blues, Sony, 1990
  • (With Sting) The Soul Cages, A&M, 1991
  • (Contributor) Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus, Columbia, 1992
  • (Contributor) Guru, Jazzmatazz, Chrysalis/Capitol, 1993
  • (With Buckshot Le Fonque) Buckshot Lefonque, Sony/Columbia, c. 1994
  • (Contributor) Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones, Live Art, Warner Bros., 1996
  • (With Sting) Mercury Falling, A&M, 1996
  • (With Buckshot Le Fonque) Music Evolution, Sony, 1997
  • (Contributor) The Beautiful Thing, Verve, 1997
  • (Contributor) Jackies Blue Bag, Hip Bop Essence, 1997
  • Also recorded "Barcelona Mona" with Bruce Hornsby.
  • Film Soundtracks
  • Saxophone player, "We've Already Said Goodbye (Before We Said Hello)," School Daze, Columbia, 1988
  • Saxophone player, Do the Right Thing, 1989
  • Song performer, "Lament," Sea of Love, 1989
  • Music performer, The Russia House, 1990
  • Song performer, "Knocked out of the Box," Lonely Woman," "Jazz Thing," Say Hey," "Beneath the Underdog," "Mo' Better Blues," "Harlem Blues," and "Again Never," Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
  • Music performer, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
  • Sneakers, Universal, 1992
  • Malcolm X, 1992
  • Music performer, Psalms from the Underground, 1995
  • Once in the Life, 2000
  • Books on Cassette
  • Musician, David and Goliath, Rabbit Ears, 1993
  • WRITINGS
  • Film Music
  • Songs, "Larry's Song" and "The Hallowed Tales of Delfbear," Throw Momma from the Train, Orion, 1987
  • Songs, "Say Hey," "Beneath the Underdog," "Pop Top 40," and "Knocked outof the Box," Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
  • Without a Pass, 1991
  • Sneakers, Universal, 1992
  • (Contributor) Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You, 1992
  • (Contributor) Black to the Promised Land, 1992
  • To My Daughter with Love, 1994
  • Mr. & Mrs. Loving, 1996
  • M'sieurs dames, 1997
  • Goosed, Tradewinds, 1999
  • Once in the Life, Lions Gate, 2000
  • 3 A.M., Showtime, 2001
  • Television Music
  • Specials
  • "Murder in Metropolis," "Without A Pass," Showtime Thirty-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1992
  • 40 for the Ages: Sports Illustrated's 40th Anniversary Special, NBC, 1994
  • Movies
  • To My Daughter with Love (also known as Single Dad), NBC, 1994
  • Mr. and Mrs. Loving, Showtime, 1996
  • Goosed, TMC, 2000
  • A Huey P. Newton Story, Black Starz!, 2001
  • 3 AM, Showtime, 2001
  • Series
  • Theme music, Temporarily Yours, CBS, 1997
  • Composer of numerous songs, including "No Backstage Pass," "Solstice," and "Waiting for Rain."
  • Episodic
  • "As Ye Sow," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's Tales from the Crypt), 1989

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

    Periodicals
    • Down Beat, March, 1987, p. 16; September, 1989, p. 94; November, 1989, p. 16; January, 1992, p. 16
    • Ebony, February, 1989, p. 66
    • Entertainment Weekly, May 2, 1997, p. 58
    • Esquire, June, 1992, p. 34
    • Gentleman's Quarterly, May, 1991, p. 198
    • New York, October 14, 1991, pp. 52-63
    • New York Times Magazine, May 3, 1992, pp. 40-42, 70-73
    • Rolling Stone, February 25, 1988, p. 16
    • Vogue, November, 1990, p. 256