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A Juneteenth album captures the rhythm of life
Just in time for Juneteenth, Jazz at Lincoln Center has released an album called “Freedom Justice & Hope”. The album is a collaboration between Bryan Stevenson’s Equal Justice Initiative and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, fronted by Wynton Marsalis. Stevenson provides some introductions and historical context. Keep reading »
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Inspired By Injustice, Wynton Marsalis Reflects On His Music
Wynton Marsalis has always been deeply engaged in the subject of American race relations. The issue was a crucial part of his education as a young musician in New Orleans, and it has been a core preoccupation of his own work going as far back as Black Codes (From the Underground), a trailblazing album from 1985. Keep reading »
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Rubén Blades Swings Big Band Jazz And Rumba On New Album
We all knew vocalist Rubén Blades knew his way around the clave, the rhythmic pattern that propels the Afro-Cuban dance music he’s known for. But I bet you didn’t know he could swing a big band jazz tune with an easy flair that recalls past masters like Mel Tormé, Tony Bennett or Frank Sinatra. Keep reading »
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The Transatlantic Collaboration Behind Wynton Marsalis’ New Violin Concerto
Jazz great Wynton Marsalis, a virtuoso trumpet player and Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, has written — wait for it — a violin concerto. As the daughter of the late virtuoso violinist Roman Totenberg, I was intrigued and wanted to know more. So I spent an hour with Marsalis — and the violinist he wrote his concerto with and for. (More on that later.) Keep reading »
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Wynton Marsalis Goes Back To Church For ‘Abyssinian Mass’
Wynton Marsalis is sipping hot tea in a church conference room before the evening’s performance. His custom-made Monette Raja trumpet — with its built-in mouthpiece and black opal inlays — sits by his side. He’s riffing on one of his favorite subjects: the universality of rhythm.
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“That rolling 6/8 rhythm is in African religious music, it’s in Anglican religious music,” he says, humming a complicated pattern and tapping his fingers on his notebook. “In a slower tempo it would be ‘Greensleeves.’” He scats the melody. “Now stay in that time, here’s the African 6/8 ... now let’s go into the jazz shuffle.” More tapping. “It’s the same rhythm.” -
Listen to Wynton Marsalis And Vince Giordano: Live In New York
The New Year’s Eve party at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola featured two institutions of New York jazz: the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Nighthawks. They count down to midnight with their interpretations of Louis Armstrong’s monumental Hot Fives recordings.
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The Music of Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver recorded live on NPR
On December 26-27-28-29-30-31, 2011, Wynton and members of JLCO performed the Music of Jelly Roll Morton and King Oliver at Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola in New York City. On December 29th, set 1 and 2 were live broadcast on Livestream. Enjoy the “archived videos”:http://www.livestream.com/wyntonmarsalis from that evening and some “pictures”:http://wyntonmarsalis.org/photos/c/the-music-of-jelly-roll-morton-and-king-oliver-at-dizzys-2011 about the week long concerts.
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Also check out the “NPR recording”:http://t.co/OYwh0ero from New Year’s Eve 2011 gig at Dizzy’s. -
Wynton Marsalis performs on “A Prairie Home Companion”
Wynton Marsalis and his Quintet performed on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor at New York City’s Town Hall on Saturday night. The Quintet played three tunes: School Boy (from He and She), Number 8 (from Music, Deep Revers In My Soul), Free to Be (from The Magic Hour). You may still have a chance to listen to this broadcast in your area.
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Wynton interviewed by Talk of the Nation and Leonard Lopate Show
Wynton is giving interviews to the main radio and TV, for the presentation of his new book “Moving to Higher Ground: How Jazz Can Change Your Life
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NPR interview - Wynton And Willie: Two Men Playing The Blues
On the surface, country music legend Willie Nelson and jazz trumpet icon Wynton Marsalis might seem like an unlikely combination. But when the two came together in January 2007 to perform live at Lincoln Center, they discovered a connection far beyond their admiration for each other’s music. Finding common ground and a mutual love of jazz standards and the blues, they later turned the performances into the newly released album Two Men with the Blues. All Things Considered host Andrea Seabrook spoke to the two musicians about their first-ever collaboration as the two sat on Nelson’s tour bus before an appearance on The Tonight Show. Keep reading »