artist info

Delfeayo Marsalis is one of the top trombonists, composers and producers in jazz today. Known for his “technical excellence, inventive mind and frequent touches of humor” (Leonard Feather, Los Angeles Times), he is “one of the best, most imaginative and musical of the trombonists of his generation.” (Philip Elwood, San Francisco Examiner.) In January 2011, Delfeayo and the Marsalis family (father Ellis and brothers Branford, Wynton and Jason) earned the nation’s highest jazz honor – a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award.

Marsalis is an exceptional trombonist who toured internationally with five renowned bandleaders. “Art Blakey taught me a lot about patience and how to construct a solo. My compositions are influenced by Abdullah Ibrahim’s harmonies. Slide Hampton inspired me with the relaxation that he displays in his trombone playing along with his command of the instrument. With Max Roach, I learned that I had to be on top of my game every moment. And Elvin Jones, who I worked with for seven or eight years, taught me about humanity, expressing myself through my instrument, and how to keep time without relying on other players.” During a tour with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, he was filmed as part of the Ken Burns documentary, Jazz and he was an integral part of Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration, a DVD that assembled all of the musical Marsalis’ for the first time and was featured on PBS.

Led by award winning trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis, the Uptown Jazz Orchestra are New Orleans’ finest musical ambassadors. Founded in 2008, the sixteen piece multi-generational ensemble can be heard regularly on Wednesdays at Snug Harbor Jazz Bistro in New Orleans, and on their debut recording, Make America Great Again. As it strives to preserve and present the essence of big band and jazz traditions through live performance and youth programming, UJO hopes to inspire excellence on a global level and further the appreciation for jazz and it’s rich history.