-
Wynton Marsalis Says Cultural Con Jobs Began Long Before Trump
As for so many of us, the past several months formed a season of loss for Wynton Marsalis. His father, pianist Ellis Marsalis—who Wynton described on his blog as “a humble man with a lyrical sound”—died on April 1, at 85, from complications of COVID-19. One of his clearest mentors, the writer and critic Stanley Crouch, died on Sept. 16, at 74. Keep reading »
-
For Wynton Marsalis, jazz is substance — and democracy
Pondering last weekend’s U.S. presidential debate, Wynton Marsalis expressed surprise that anyone would be startled by the low level of discourse on display. Sunday’s town hall-style debate was notable for its vulgarity, vitriol and overall lack of class (at one point Donald Trump referred to Hillary Clinton as “the devil”). In Marsalis’s view, this merely reflects a contemporary American culture gone downhill in recent years. Keep reading »
-
Wynton Marsalis: Wynton Throws Down the Gauntlet
Like Howard Beale in Network, Wynton Marsalis is mad as hell and he’s not gonna take it anymore. Of course, the 45-year-old trumpeter-bandleader and celebrated jazz ambassador has always been riled and outraged, ever since he was an audacious, outspoken kid back in New Orleans. And over the course of the past 20 years, he has always spoken his mind in interviews or in casual conversation. Like his equally unguarded brother Branford, you know where Wynton stands. He pulls no punches, never attempts to obfuscate. Like him or not, he’s painfully direct, unwavering in his convictions.
Keep reading »