This weekend, the Soul’d Out Music Festival will conclude with a performance by pianist and jazz master Ellis Marsalis, the man responsible for the Marsalis family jazz legacy that includes sons Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason. Last week, The Skanner News spoke with the pianist from his home in New Orleans.
Ellis, now retired from teaching at the University of New Orleans, still plays a weekly show in New Orleans, but says that his performances during this tour will likely be his last away from Louisiana. This year, the Marsalis family received the first NEA Jazz Masters group award for their accomplishments in the genre. Ellis is also serving as a consultant to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, which features performance halls and education spaces for residents at Musicians Village and others in the neighborhood.
Marsalis will play this Saturday with his son Jason at the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, with an opening set by the Devin Phillips Quartet.
The Soul’d Out Music Festival continues all this week with performances from a number of national soul, jazz and hip hop acts including Das Racist, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tinie Tempah, Rusko, Trentemoller, Breakestra, Mos Def and more. Check www.souldoutfestival.com for a full schedule of events
TSN: You’re about to embark on a multi-city tour going from Portland to San Francisco coming up here in the next…
Ellis Marsalis: I wouldn’t exactly call it a tour going from Portland Oregon to San Francisco … I don’t really do touring per se, it’s not something I can really do. In fact, in February, my wife broke her hip and I was close to having to cancel the little bit of something I had to be at home trying to help her with her rehab. As it is, I did cancel the workshop I was going to do the following day because as it is, it’s taking me out of town for too many days.
TSN: Do you tend to still play a lot of live shows in your home of New Orleans?
EM: I do once a week at a club called Snug Harbor.
TSN: Do you still enjoy playing live shows?
EM: Oh I still enjoy playing, I definitely enjoy playing. And you know, there are some young guys I get a chance to play with, which is even better.
Ellis, now retired from teaching at the University of New Orleans, still plays a weekly show in New Orleans, but says that his performances during this tour will likely be his last away from Louisiana. This year, the Marsalis family received the first NEA Jazz Masters group award for their accomplishments in the genre. Ellis is also serving as a consultant to the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, which features performance halls and education spaces for residents at Musicians Village and others in the neighborhood.
Marsalis will play this Saturday with his son Jason at the Aladdin Theatre in Portland, with an opening set by the Devin Phillips Quartet.
The Soul’d Out Music Festival continues all this week with performances from a number of national soul, jazz and hip hop acts including Das Racist, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Tinie Tempah, Rusko, Trentemoller, Breakestra, Mos Def and more. Check www.souldoutfestival.com for a full schedule of events
TSN: You’re about to embark on a multi-city tour going from Portland to San Francisco coming up here in the next…
Ellis Marsalis: I wouldn’t exactly call it a tour going from Portland Oregon to San Francisco … I don’t really do touring per se, it’s not something I can really do. In fact, in February, my wife broke her hip and I was close to having to cancel the little bit of something I had to be at home trying to help her with her rehab. As it is, I did cancel the workshop I was going to do the following day because as it is, it’s taking me out of town for too many days.
TSN: Do you tend to still play a lot of live shows in your home of New Orleans?
EM: I do once a week at a club called Snug Harbor.
TSN: Do you still enjoy playing live shows?
EM: Oh I still enjoy playing, I definitely enjoy playing. And you know, there are some young guys I get a chance to play with, which is even better.
Complete on: http://www.theskanner.com/article/2011/04/12/Ellis-Marsalis-Father-of-Family-Jazz-Legacy-Comes-to-Portland
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