Holy smokes! Wynton Marsalis is 60????????????

Granted, I suppose it was a long time ago that I took the shrink wrap off his brilliantly played classical debut album of the Haydn Trumpet Concerto, a treasured gift from a high school girlfriend, on the recommendation of her wise and knowledgeable father.

Marsalis, of course, has made his biggest mark as a jazz artist. He holds the influential positions of artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center and music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. Marsalis founded the summer concert series in 1987, and he’s been directing the orchestra since 1996.

Although he hails from an illustrious New Orleans family of jazz musicians – his father was Ellis, and among his brothers are Branford, Delfeayo, and Jason Marsalis – it had originally been the plan for Wynton to pursue a career in classical music. He moved to New York City to attend Juilliard, but then he fell in with Art Blakey and toured Europe as one of Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. That was followed by a tour with Herbie Hancock. In 1982, he began forming his own ensembles.

In 1997, Marsalis’ “Blood on the Fields” became the first jazz work to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music. Controversially, Duke Ellington had been denied a special citation in 1965. He was finally recognized in 1999 – a full quarter century after his death.

Marsalis is the only musician ever to be awarded a Grammy in the classical and jazz categories in the same year – in 1983, for the aforementioned Haydn Trumpet Concerto and for his jazz album “Think of One.” Just to show it was no accident, he did it again in 1984, winning for an album of Baroque trumpet works, with soprano Edita Gruberova, and for “Hot House Flowers.” In all, he’s been recognized by the Grammys nine times.

I haven’t seen that girlfriend in 35 years, probably, but I’m still listening to Marsalis’ Haydn.

Happy birthday, Wynton Marsalis.

A selection from “Blood on the Fields”

“Hellbound Highball” from String Quartet No. 1 “At the Octoroon Balls”

The family that plays together stays together

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkRqpslgh_k

Happiness is Haydn