Wynton Marsalis and the Joy of Music

I recently had the opportunity to attend a concert by Wynton Marsalis and his Jazz at Lincoln Center Band. More than Wynton’s musical prowess as a trumpet player, the one thing that stood out of the concert for me was how Wynton makes music fun and entertaining.

Wynton Marsalis Skill to Entertain and Educate

Marsalis began the concert by addressing the audience and immediately setting the tone for fun and relaxing evening. Wynton mentioned how Atlanta seemed home for him, and a few band members had roots there. Because these musicians had relatives in the audience, Wynton mentioned they wanted to perform well because “no one wants to suck in front of relatives and friends”.

The explanation of the first couple of songs the band was about to play showcased Wynton Marsalis skill as an educator. Marsalis set the stage providing a brief musical background of the pieces, which as I have argued in many previous occasions, helps the audience enjoy more the music.

This is an important part of what makes going to a live concert worth it, instead of staying home listening to the CD, which would be much cheaper. In this case, Wynton explained the songs were inspired in Spain.

After playing the songs Wynton Marsalis always acknowledge the soloist for the crowd, recapped the music played, and proceeded to provide a brief explanation of the next songs the band was about to play. These next songs were written by Marsalis for the Baptist Church of Harlem. Had he not provided the background to these songs, I would have missed that element during the performance. The 2nd piece, “Watching the Holy Ghost” was an amazing piece of music featuring the whole wind section of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Making Music Fun and Loving

During the concert, the band would at times clap or stomp their feet in unison, in a way that reflected that they don’t loose sight that music is fun!

Perhaps the best part of the Wynton Marsalis concert was when he brought to stage the mother of one of the young saxophone players. She happened to be a jazz singer who helped inspire her son to play jazz. Both mother and song engaged in a sing and sax play duo, that gained the only standing ovation of the evening.

A Lesson to Be Learned

Wynton Marsalis wants to keep his beloved New Orleans jazz music alive by educating people on it and making sure its fun and touching for the audience. Everyone coming out of that Atlanta theater became an ambassador for jazz that evening. Musicians please take note, as perhaps there is a lesson to be learned.