The inimitable Ellis Marsalis Quintet, including sons Jason and Delfeayo, will present a one-night concert at the Rich Theatre Auditorium of the Woodruff Arts Center on Thursday, April 27 from 8-9:30 pm. The concert will benefit the Santa Fe Villas, a non-profit which provides permanent supportive housing for homeless individuals.
Born in 1934 in New Orleans, Marsalis is the father of six sons, four of whom are international jazz musicians (Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason; Ellis is a poet, photographer, and network engineer; Mboya does not play an instrument). According to Paul Harrow of the Heartland Review, they are often referred to as “The First Family of Jazz.” Ellis Marsalis Jr. started out as a tenor saxophonist but switched to piano in high school. His first performance, well over 50 years ago, was with “The Groovy Boys.” Since then he has played with Cannonball Adderly, Nat Adderly, and Al Hirt, was inducted in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame, and was a recipient of the NEA Jazz Masters Award.
Check out Marsalis' interview with WCLK's RivaBlue where he talks about the upcoming show and more!