Acclaimed trumpeter at festival

Press, 23 March 1988, Page 17

Acclaimed trumpeter at festival

■ ■ •.'!.(. He was given ,his first trumpet at the agel of six — and now, at 26, Wynton Marsalis is already being hailed as the finest jazz soloist of the eighties. j His performance last week in ithe Wellington Town Hall, as part of New Zealand’s second [ International Arts Festiva , features tonight iri Television One’s 9.30 A.M.P - sponsored '. “ Festival ’ slot. i Like many, significant jazzmen Marsalis is from New Orleans, the son of acclaimed jazz pianist Ellis' Marsalis. Local marching i bands,, jazz bands, funk bands anti orchestras with European repertoires' formed[ the basis of his early experience as a young musician. But his formal training was in classical i music, performing with tlie New Orleans j Philharmonic Orchestra when lie was only 14. Marsalis is

equally successful today as a classical ' trumpet player. ! . “I studied j ; classical music,” he says, “because sp many musicians were scared of this big monster called classical- music on the other side of the mountain. I I wanted to know what it; was that< scared everybody so bad.” Marsalis went on to study at the famed Juilj Hard School in New York, soon becoming recognised as its most impressive ydung trumpeter. He also performed with , the Brooklyn Philharmonic and as a soloist with the Mexico City [ Symphony during this time, i (Then in 1980 he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, where he inspired quite a | bit of j jazz talk, and was soon signed to 1 Columbia Records.! The following year! he toured wjth .-the Herbie Hancock Quartet, which gave him

considerable exposure ! and cemented his reputa'tion. / | I At' that point Marsalis could have abandoned his classical music studies. But he was determined to complete his degree, if only to prove he could db it. Even so, [he refutes by some people (hat he is a classical musician. who plays jazz. ! | “They have it backjwards! I’m a jazz musician who can play classical music.” i , | To prove ' this point, Marsalis made musical -history in 1984 by becom!ing the first instrumentalist to win Grammy Awards in both jazz and classical - categories! yj-! repeating that feat; tlie following year. | i | In 1986 he | became the second and the youngest in Grammy history to win (best jazz instrumental performance, j soloist, (over three consiecutive [years! j I The phenomenal career ■ of Wynton!Marsalis scaled even greater! heights' during 1986 and 1987, whep [he set the! all-time record in the “Down; Beat” magajzirie readers’ poll with his fifth consecutive “Jazz Musician of the Year’!’ award, also winning "Besj Trumpet” for the years 1982-86. I | Not only pas Marsalis won critics’ and readers polls, plus! a total of eigh| Grammy Awards in the jazz and classical fields, he has sold-out clubs and concert halls'around the world and amassed record sales' “in the seven figures.” ' | - (i I: | Critics have praised Wynton Marsalis for his technical mastery, respect for jazz tradition and professional polish, as well as the [emotional depth of his work and his improvisational ability.