Delfeayo Marsalis
Since
producing Syndrome for his father Ellis at age 17, Delfeayo, has crafted
the sound of over 70 major label recordings, including works by Branford
and Wynton, Harry Connick, Jr., Courtney Pine, Marcus Roberts, Kenny Kirkland,
Terence Blanchard-Donald Harrison Quintet and others. Four of his productions
have won Grammy awards.
Besides leading his own band consistently (their dates at Snug Harbor are a local favorite), Delfeayo has been the featured trombone soloist with such names as Ray Charles, Art Blakey, Fats Domino, and, most recently, drummer Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine. In the liner notes to his most recent album, Musashi, he states, "[Elvin] taught me how to structure solos at a logical pace, how to make music. Elvin's conception is so complex that every soloist is responsible for keeping the rhythm and the time. Otherwise, it doesn't work."
In 1992, he debuted with Pontius Pilate's Decision, not the expected set of standards with a few hum-drum originals sprinkled in, but rather an extremely technically and conceptually advanced 70-minute meditation on the infamous biblical figure who was forced to decide Jesus' fate. This ability to "tell a story" through music is an important part of Delfeayo's work, owing a great deal to his love for literature (he has pursued a masters in English at UNO and is an avid fiction writer). (Conn-Selmer)