Song:The Man With Two Left Feet
Album:The 21st Century Trad Band
Jason Marsalis started out as a drummer but has taken up the vibraphone and has put together a pretty good quartet. The 21st Century Trad Band is his latest CD. He was born Mar. 4, 1977 in New Orleans the youngest son of pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr. Of course brothers Branford, Wynton and Delfeayo are all world famous jazz musicians. That's a very imposing pedigree. Jason played drums as a child. And at age 14, he appeared on his father's 1991 CD Heart Of Gold. He played as a sideman for a few years and recorded his debut as a leader The Year of the Drummer in 1998. Then he formed the Latin Jazz group Los Hombres Calientes with trumpeter Irvin Mayfield and drummer Bill Summers. That band was very successful but Jason left after two albums to work with pianist Marcus Roberts. He seemed to be more comfortable playing in Roberts' traditional jazz style. Jason has distanced himself from Los Hombres Calientes by saying it was Mayfield's band. From 2000 to 2009, Jason worked mainly as a sideman. Then when he released his 2009 CD Music Update, he's playing the vibraphone. Though no one knew that he played the vibes, he had been working on mastering the instrument for several years. Jason plays the two mallet style of Milt Jackson or Lionel Hampton as opposed to the four mallet style of Gary Burton. The 21st Century Trad Band was released Oct. 2014 and is Jason's third vibes CD. His band includes Austin Johnson on piano, Will Goble on bass and David Potter on drums. If you are only familiar with his brothers, be sure to check out Jason Marsalis. Here's the Jason Marsalis Vibes Quartet performing The Man With Two Left Feet at KPLU in Seattle Nov. 2014.
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