Marsalis Music

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Marsalis Music is a Boston-based record label founded in 2002 by saxophonist Branford Marsalis, one of the most celebrated jazz musicians of the past quarter century. Based upon his extensive experience as a player, composer and bandleader, Branford recognized the need to form a label where a diverse array of musicians could document their best efforts. In its first five years of operations, they have built a catalogue including 18 compact discs and three DVDs and a roster featuring promising new artists, leading contemporary stylists and, in the Honors Series inaugurated in 2006, underappreciated veteran musicians. Marsalis Music have also sponsored the innovative Marsalis Jams program on high school and college campuses across the country and, through the efforts of Branford and Harry Connick, Jr. (another Marsalis Music artist, who documents his instrumental music on the label), they conceived and helped to realize the New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village project that will ultimately provide several hundred homes for displaced musicians, their families and other displaced residents of New Orleans.

Marsalis Music artists are all bandleaders in their own right, and each has successfully expanded upon his or her performances with lectures, clinics and other presentations designed to bring players and listeners more directly into the music.

Marsalis Music receives distribution and marketing support from Rounder Records.