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Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Arthur Marks to John McEnery
Branford Marsalis Biography (1960-)
Born August 26, 1960, in New Orleans (some sources say Breaux Bridge), LA; son of Ellis (a jazz pianist and high school music teacher) and Delores (a jazzsinger and substitute teacher) Marsalis; brother of Wynton Marsalis (a composer and actor); married Teresa Reese (an actress), 1985 (divorced, 1994); children: Reese Ellis. Addresses: Manager: Wilkins Management, 323 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139.; Contact: IMG Artist Worldwide, 825 Seventh Ave., 8th Floor, New York, NY 10019; 9520 Cedarbrook Dr., Beverly Hills, CA 90210.
- Nationality
- American
- Gender
- Male
- Occupation
- Musician, recording artist, actor
- Birth Details
- August 26, 1960
- New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
Famous Works
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CREDITS
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Television Appearances
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Series
- Band leader, Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC, 1992-1995
- Host, Friday Night Videos, NBC, 1992-
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Specials
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Bring on the Night (also known as Sting: Bring on the Night), 1985
- Song performer, "Oleo," "I Thought about You," and "Giant Steps," Newport Jazz '87, PBS, 1987
- Song performer, "502 Blues," Jacksonville Jazz Festival VII, PBS,1987
- Song performer, "I Mean You," Celebrating a Jazz Master: Thelonious Sphere Monk, PBS, 1987
- Saxophone player, Sting in Tokyo, HBO, 1989
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The 32nd Annual Grammy Awards, CBS, 1990
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Victory and Valor: A Special Olympics All-Star Celebration, ABC, 1991
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Story of a People: Expressions in Black, syndicated, 1991
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Jazz at the Smithsonian: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, 1991
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The Music Tells You, 1992
- Buddy Warren, "Without a Pass," Showtime Thirty-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1992
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NBC Super Special All-Star Comedy Hour, NBC, 1993
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Count on Me, PBS, 1993
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The Best of Disney Music: A Legacy in Song--Part I, 1993
- Narrator, Reed Royalty, Bravo, 1993
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The Winans' Real Meaning of Christmas, syndicated, 1993
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40 for the Ages: Sports Illustrated's 40th Anniversary Special, NBC, 1994
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Motown 40: The Music Is Forever (also known as Motown's 40th: ARetrospective), ABC, 1998
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Vince Gill Live by Request, Arts and Entertainment, 1999
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Newport Jazz `99, PBS, 1999
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Men Strike Back, VH1, 2000
- Interviewee, Ellis Marsalis: Jazz is Spoken Here (documentary), PBS, 2000
- (Uncredited) Interviewee, Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story (documentary), TCM, 2002
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Episodic
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Late Night with David Letterman, 1985, 1988
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, 1991
- Himself, "The SAT Score Scam," Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, PBS, 1991
- "Sleepless in Bel-Air," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1994
- "Stop Will! In the Name of Love," The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, NBC, 1993
- "I Love This Game," Living Single, Fox, 1994
- "Gum, Disease," Space Ghost Coast to Coast (animated), Cartoon Network, 1994
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Soul Train, 1995
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Late Show with David Letterman, 1995
- Voice of the Frog Prince, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child (animated), HBO, 1995
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The Howard Stern Show, 1996
- Hosted New Vision on VH1; appeared in Sesame Street, PBS; Evening at Pops, PBS; Sessions at West 54th, PBS.
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Miniseries
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Jazz, PBS, 2001
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Television Work
- Music director and arranger, Tonight Show with Jay Leno (series),NBC, 1992-1995
- Music director, NBC Super Special All-Star Comedy Hour (special),NBC, 1993
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Film Appearances
- Lester, Throw Momma from the Train, Orion, 1987
- Jordan (Da Fellas), School Daze, Columbia, 1988
- Saxophone player, Do the Right Thing, 1989
- Party guest, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
- Saxophone player, Jazz at the Smithsonian: Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, 1990
- Buddy Warren, Without a Pass, 1991
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Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You, 1992
- Saxophone player, Malcolm X, Warner Bros., 1992
- Harry Delacroix, Eve's Bayou, Trimark Pictures, 1997
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Radio Appearances
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Series
- Host of JazzSet, National Public Radio.
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RECORDINGS
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Solo Albums
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Scenes in the City, Columbia, 1984
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Royal Garden Blues, Columbia, 1986
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Renaissance, Columbia, 1987
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Random Abstract, Columbia, 1988
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Trio Jeepy, Columbia, 1989
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Crazy People Music, Columbia, 1990
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The Beautiful Ones Are Not Yet Born, Columbia, 1991
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I Heard You Twice the First Time, Columbia, 1992
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Bloomington, Columbia, 1993
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Dark Keys, Columbia, 1997
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Requiem, Sony, 1999
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Contemporary Jazz, Columbia, 2000
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Creation, Sony, 2001
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Other Albums
- (Contributor) Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, Live at Montreux and Northsea, Timeless, 1980
- (With father Ellis Marsalis) Fathers and Sons, Columbia, 1981
- (With brother Wynton Marsalis) Wynton Marsalis, Columbia, 1982
- (With W. Marsalis) Think of One, Columbia, 1983
- (With Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers) Keystone 3, Concord, 1983
- (With Miles Davis) Decoy, Columbia, 1984
- (With W. Marsalis) Hot House Flowers, Columbia, 1984
- (With Andy Jaffe) Manhattan Projections, Stash, 1984
- (Contributor) Dizzie Gillespie, Closer to the Source, Atlantic, 1984
- (With W. Marsalis) Black Codes (from the Underground), Columbia, 1985
- (With Sting) The Dream of The Blue Turtles, A&M, 1985
- (Contributor) Dizzy Gillespie, New Faces, GRP, 1985
- (With Sting) Bring On the Night, A&M, 1985
- (Contributor) Kevin Eubanks, Opening Night, GRP, 1985
- (With English Chamber Orchestra) Romances for Saxophone, Columbia,1986
- (Contributor) Teena Marie, Emerald City, Epic, 1986
- (Contributor) Tina Turner, Break Every Rule, Capitol, 1986
- (With Duke Ellington Brass Band Orchestra) "Cottontail," on Digital Duke, GRP, 1987
- (With Sting) Nothing Like the Sun, A&M, 1987
- (Contributor) School Daze (soundtrack recording), 1988
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Music from Mo' Better Blues, Sony, 1990
- (With Sting) The Soul Cages, A&M, 1991
- (Contributor) Weird Nightmare: Meditations on Mingus, Columbia, 1992
- (Contributor) Guru, Jazzmatazz, Chrysalis/Capitol, 1993
- (With Buckshot Le Fonque) Buckshot Lefonque, Sony/Columbia, c. 1994
- (Contributor) Bela Fleck and the Fleckstones, Live Art, Warner Bros., 1996
- (With Sting) Mercury Falling, A&M, 1996
- (With Buckshot Le Fonque) Music Evolution, Sony, 1997
- (Contributor) The Beautiful Thing, Verve, 1997
- (Contributor) Jackies Blue Bag, Hip Bop Essence, 1997
- Also recorded "Barcelona Mona" with Bruce Hornsby.
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Film Soundtracks
- Saxophone player, "We've Already Said Goodbye (Before We Said Hello)," School Daze, Columbia, 1988
- Saxophone player, Do the Right Thing, 1989
- Song performer, "Lament," Sea of Love, 1989
- Music performer, The Russia House, 1990
- Song performer, "Knocked out of the Box," Lonely Woman," "Jazz Thing," Say Hey," "Beneath the Underdog," "Mo' Better Blues," "Harlem Blues," and "Again Never," Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
- Music performer, Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
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Sneakers, Universal, 1992
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Malcolm X, 1992
- Music performer, Psalms from the Underground, 1995
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Once in the Life, 2000
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Books on Cassette
- Musician, David and Goliath, Rabbit Ears, 1993
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WRITINGS
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Film Music
- Songs, "Larry's Song" and "The Hallowed Tales of Delfbear," Throw Momma from the Train, Orion, 1987
- Songs, "Say Hey," "Beneath the Underdog," "Pop Top 40," and "Knocked outof the Box," Mo' Better Blues, Universal, 1990
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Without a Pass, 1991
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Sneakers, Universal, 1992
- (Contributor) Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You, 1992
- (Contributor) Black to the Promised Land, 1992
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To My Daughter with Love, 1994
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Mr. & Mrs. Loving, 1996
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M'sieurs dames, 1997
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Goosed, Tradewinds, 1999
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Once in the Life, Lions Gate, 2000
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3 A.M., Showtime, 2001
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Television Music
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Specials
- "Murder in Metropolis," "Without A Pass," Showtime Thirty-Minute Movie, Showtime, 1992
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40 for the Ages: Sports Illustrated's 40th Anniversary Special, NBC, 1994
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Movies
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To My Daughter with Love (also known as Single Dad), NBC, 1994
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Mr. and Mrs. Loving, Showtime, 1996
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Goosed, TMC, 2000
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A Huey P. Newton Story, Black Starz!, 2001
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3 AM, Showtime, 2001
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Series
- Theme music, Temporarily Yours, CBS, 1997
- Composer of numerous songs, including "No Backstage Pass," "Solstice," and "Waiting for Rain."
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Episodic
- "As Ye Sow," Tales from the Crypt (also known as HBO's Tales from the Crypt), 1989
Further Reference
OTHER SOURCES
Periodicals
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Down Beat, March, 1987, p. 16; September, 1989, p. 94; November, 1989, p. 16; January, 1992, p. 16
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Ebony, February, 1989, p. 66
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Entertainment Weekly, May 2, 1997, p. 58
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Esquire, June, 1992, p. 34
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Gentleman's Quarterly, May, 1991, p. 198
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New York, October 14, 1991, pp. 52-63
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New York Times Magazine, May 3, 1992, pp. 40-42, 70-73
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Rolling Stone, February 25, 1988, p. 16
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Vogue, November, 1990, p. 256
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