Branford Marsalis
Though he only held the position for three years, Branford Marsalis is most known for his stint as musical director and band leader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Throughout the rest of his career he has been a successful musician recording albums and playing concerts.
Born on August 26, 1960, in Beaux Bridge, Louisiana , Branford Marsalis was the oldest of six children to be born to Ellis Marsalis, Jr., a successful jazz pianist, and his wife Dolores. Three of his brothers, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason, are musicians as well. Active in the Boy Scout program, younger brother Wynton attained the highest rank of Eagle Scout, while Branford attained the second highest rank of Life Scout. After graduating high school, Branford attended Berklee College of Music for three years, and also played the baritone saxophone touring Europe with Art Blakely and his own brother Wynton. He also enjoyed a two week stint playing in the Lionel Hampton Orchestra and touring with Clark Terry.
In 1984 Branford released his first album, Scenes in the City, playing saxophone with a host of other musicians. The album was meant to show a different side to his music than what he had done with Blakely and Wynton, and Branford composed three of the songs on the album himself. He then met Sting, coming off a successful run with the band The Police, and together they recorded Dream of the Blue Turtles and Nothing Like the Sun. After performing in the first Live Aid concert and touring with Herbie Hancock, Branford recorded his second album on his own, Romances for Saxophone.
Royal Garden Blues was released in 1986, produced by Wynton with Branford on the saxophone and father, Ellis, on the piano; the album earned him his first Grammy nomination. This set up a pattern for Branford as he continued to release albums both on his own and with the help of others, receiving multiple Grammy nominations for them. He also recorded a Black History Month series for National Public Radio titled, Bass Lines: The Reflections of Milt Hinton.
Branford branched out to both television and movies, in the form of soundtracks as well as acting. He appeared with his father and brothers on MisteRogers’ Neighborhood and filmed a role in the movie Throw Momma from the Train with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal, which he also wrote music for. In addition, Branford had appearances in the Spike Lee movies Mo’ Better Blues and School Daze; he performed on the soundtrack for the movie Sea of Love, as well as another Spike Lee movie, Do the Right Thing.
As Johnny Carson retired, and Jay Leno took over The Tonight Show, Branford was named to take over as bandleader and musical director. He continued his previous pursuits as well, releasing an album, I Heard You Twice the First Time, which included collaborations with his brother Wynton, B.B. King, and John Lee Hooker, and won him a Grammy award. He also co-hosted The Best of Disney Music: A Legacy In Song on television. He won another Grammy for a song recorded with Bruce Hornsby and recorded an album with his own band, Buckshot LeFonque, which included a vocal performed by Maya Angelou.
Branford retired from The Tonight Show in order to continue recording with Buckshot LeFonque, and left the show’s band in the care of guitarist Kevin Eubanks. He made many other appearances on television, on shows like The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air with Will Smith and Living Single with Queen Latifah. He enjoyed more acting stints, as he appeared in Eve’s Bayou with Samuel L. Jackson, and continued to write and perform music in the movies Malcolm X, A Huey P. Newton Story, and Mr. and Mrs. Loving.
Perhaps his most important collaboration to date has been the one with fellow New Orleans native, Harry Connick, Jr. After the devastation to their hometown by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the two joined together with Habitat for Humanity, and created The Musicians’ Village, which provides homes to musicians in need. At the center of this village is the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music. |
