Branford Marsalis in Düsseldorf

Branford Marsalis is an American jazz saxophonist, composer and bandleader, born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in 1960. A member of the Marsalis musical family, he played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers before leading the Branford Marsalis Quartet. His best-known work includes the albums Contemporary Jazz and Eternal, as well as his saxophone parts on Sting’s The Dream of the Blue Turtles. The Dream of the Blue Turtles Tour took him around the world in Sting’s band in 1985, and its performances in Paris were documented in the concert film Bring on the Night. He subsequently established his own quartet and built much of his live work around that ensemble. In 1990, he also joined the Grateful Dead at Nassau Coliseum for a concert later released as Wake Up to Find Out. His festival history includes performances at the Newport Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival, where he has appeared as a bandleader and saxophone soloist.