Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
In Memoriam: Cassandra Wilson, 1955–2026
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
“We don’t travel as much as we’d like yet,” Delfeayo Marsalis said. “But the guys in the band are committed to what we’re doing, and it’s taken a while for the concept to evolve.”
(Photo: Erika Goldring)“For a lot of people, jazz is not a thing that’s real. They may have read about it in a book, or heard it on a record, but they don’t think it can exist in real time. It’s something the old people did. Our challenge is to make this real, especially for the younger kids. I want to start an initiative that will expose black kids to what we do on a national scale.”
One person whom Marsalis reached was drummer Dyson, who was a 14-year-old freshman at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts when Delfeayo invited him to play at a small party at his house.
“We had a great relationship,” Dyson said a few days before UJO’s New York sojourn. “Delfeayo had information and wanted to share it, and he gave me opportunities to play. Once he put the big band together, it offered me an opportunity to apply to the music of Ellington and Basie the information I had from bands I’d been playing with. The musical conversation has come from a natural place, because the majority of the band comes from the cultural heritage of New Orleans music.”
In a separate conversation, bassist Pulphus—a St. Louis native who first played with Delfeayo in 1993, after enrolling at New Orleans University to study with Ellis Marsalis—described the connection between the leader’s personality and UJO’s sonic signature. “He figures out the strengths of each band member and gives them a platform to shine,” Pulphus said. “It’s not about him just soloing all night. That speaks to who he is as a person. I see in his playing that message of touching people, helping them grow and mend whatever they’re dealing with, and taking them on a beautiful journey. That’s what New Orleans is.”
For Marsalis, the city’s essence involves “a long-standing African tradition of mentorship that New Orleans musicians generally learn through, more than in any other American city.” He continued: “That mentorship often began in the schools, where teachers demanded excellence, and it continued in professional settings. However we may differ in our musical preferences, we’re all part of the same family. In addition to my brothers, I’ve called upon Donald Harrison, Terence Blanchard, Herlin Riley and Kidd Jordan for advice. At the end of the day, we’ll always come together.”
Marsalis added that the imperative to heal extends beyond the boundaries of New Orleans to the United States’ body politic. “We’re in a reality-TV state of mind,” he said. “Everything is fragmented and decontextualized. The ramifications of an action almost don’t matter. That’s how the president was elected.
“So, we have to be conscious of the times and what the world needs, and that’s what we’re trying to provide with Uptown Jazz Orchestra. The country needs something more akin to Louis Armstrong, from the standpoint of morale. The aim is not to play like Armstrong or to play Charlie Parker licks. The aim is to bring the joy and celebration, and the love and beauty that their music brought—to have the emotional impact on our audience that Louis Armstrong and Charlie Parker had on theirs.” DB
Wilson’s ability to connect to audiences helped her to win two Grammy awards and multiple other accolades. She was named an NEA Jazz Master in 2022.
Sep 3, 2026 10:44 AM
Cassandra Wilson, a singer, songwriter and producer who was one of the most acclaimed and successful jazz vocalists of…
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