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Ellis Louis Marsalis Jr. was born on November 14, 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana and started out as a tenor saxophonist but switched to the piano while in high school. From his first professional performance with The Groovy Boys over fifty years ago, he has been a major influence in jazz. At that time, he was one of the few New Orleans musicians who did not specialize in Dixieland or rhythm and blues.

He played with fellow modernists including Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, and Al Hirt, becoming one of the most respected pianists in jazz. Ellise has recorded some twenty albums as a leader opting to shun the spotlight and taking a sideman seat recording and performing with David “Fathead” Newman, Eddie Harris, Marcus Roberts, Reginald Veal, Robert Hurst, Herlin Riley, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Wycliffe Gordon, Eric Reed, Billy Higgins, Ray Brown, Benjamin Wolfe, Cynthia Liggins Thomas, Roland Guerin and Courtney Pine to name a few.

Focusing on teaching, Marsalis’s didactic approach, combined with an interest in philosophy, he encourages his students to make discoveries in music on their own, through experiment and very careful listening. He is a leading educator at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana, and has influenced the careers of Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton; as well as his sons: Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason.

Ellis has received an honorary doctorate from Tulane University, was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame and has had the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music at Musicians’ Village in New Orleans named in his honor.

He has recorded with his family the live album titled Music Redeems, he and his sons are group recipients of the 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award, and has been named Sinfonia’s 24th Man of Music. Pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis continues to perform, record and educate.

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