Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
New Orleans’ most celebrated jazz family led by the patriarch, Ellis Marsalis recently concluded their first-ever tour in support of the album and PBS special, The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration. The April 15 DVD release furthers the celebration and features all of the music-making Marsalises—father Ellis on piano and sons Branford (tenor and soprano saxophones), Delfeayo (trombone) Jason (drums), and Wynton (trumpet)—along with bassist Roland Guerin and a special guest appearance by
Harry Connick Jr.
Ellis, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason will make a special Father’s Day performance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on NBC, Monday, June 9. On June 5, “Jazz Set,” hosted by Dee Dee Bridgewater, will feature selections from the live recording of the sold-out March 2 concert held at the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia.
Marsalis Music’s premier DVD release showcases two generations of jazz and captures the essence of the family’s historic August 4, 2001, New Orleans concert, with bonus performance and exclusive interview footage added (including “Caravan,” “Limehouse Blues” and “The Party’s Over,” only on DVD). The entire DVD also features Dolby 5.1 Video/Audio surround sound. Harry Connick, Jr, perhaps Ellis’ most prominent former student, stated that. “I’ve played for presidents and queens and every other thing—nothing made me feel better than seeing my name up there with the Marsalis.”
Delfeayo added that the concert “Was an accurate representation of our family collectively and individually—who we are as people and where we are as musicians.”
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…