Song:Twelve's It
Album:Twelve's It
Ellis Marsalis Jr. has been a fixture in the New Orleans jazz scene for decades. But he was primarily known as an educator and didn't record until his sons became best selling jazz artists in the 80s. He was born Nov. 14, 1934 in New Orleans. His father Ellis Marsalis Sr. owned the famed Marsalis Hotel and was one of the first black hoteliers in the southern US. Ellis Jr. played with guys like Cannonball Adderley in his younger days. He turned to teaching at a very early age. He teaches at the New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans and Xavier University. Four of his six sons are jazz musicians. They are Branford Marsalis (sax), Wynton Marsalis (trumpet), Delfeayo Marsalis (trombone) and Jason Marsalis (drums). Marsalis taught Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Nicholas Payton and many others. When Branford and Wynton became popular in the 80s, they convinced Columbia Records to give dad a record contract. He recorded with the boys and then recorded his first album as a leader in 1991. Twelve's It was released in 1998 and introduced Marsalis' youngest son Jason Marsalis on drums. Ronald Guerin and Bill Huntington play bass. Ellis Marsalis was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame in 2008. The Ellis Marsalis Center For Music was opened in New Orleans in 2010 and all proceeds from the 2010 CD Music Redeems went to that facility. Ellis Marsalis' latest CD is with Japanese pianist Makoto Ozone and was released on ECM Records in 2012. It's called Pure Pleasure for the Piano. Here's Ellis Marsalis with Derek Douget on sax, Jason Stewart on bass and Darrian Douglas on drums performing Twelve's It at The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival Apr. 29, 2012.
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