Wynton MarsalisJazz at Lincoln
Center’s Rose
Theatre
Critiqued by Ben Ratliff
Ben Tyler, Jordan Young, Michal DIxon
His Life
 New Orleans, Louisiana- October 18,1961
 2nd of 6 sons
 Invited to play with New Orleans Philharmonic at 14
 New Orleans Symphony Brass Quintet, New Orleans
Community Concert Band, New Orleans Youth Orchestra, New
Orleans Symphony, and a jazz band as well as a popular folk
band
 Attened Julliard in 1979-18 years old
 Re-sparked interest in jazz with albums and original
compositions
His Music
 Inspired by Miles Davis, Pianist Herbie Hancock, and
drummer Art Blakey
 Bebop and classical
 Composer and band leader
 Artistic director at Jazz at Lincoln Center
 50 albums
 Magic Hour 2004
 Blood on the fields 1997
 The Majesty of the Blues 1989
1998
2009
Awards
 40 jazz and classical compositions
 First and only artist to win grammy for jazz and classical
recordings in same year
 6 grammys for jazz and 2 for classical recordings to date
 5 musician of the year awards
 Pullitzer prize for oratorio Blood in the Fields
 Has sold millions of records
The Show
 Three Night Stand at the Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater
 Marsalis’s Music
 Split between quintet and Lincoln Center’s house band
 Music in the style of Duke Ellington
 Each Song had a story or meaning behind it
The Critique
 “Mr. Marsalis can be too literal and too cute…”
 Author praises before criticizing.
 Shows good and bad things about the show
 Comments about how the big band is more pleasing that
his free jazz
 He gives a long enough background to give the reader a
complete understanding of Marsalis.
 Compares future to past