Jazz Master Marsalis to Jam at Paramount

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

September 25, 2006

Grammy award-winning jazz saxophonist, master performer, composer, producer  -- Branford Marsalis is truly an uncommon musician.  While a member of one of New Orleans' most distinguished musical families, Marsalis' success stands squarely on a foundation of inventive artistry and incredible technique  -- a platform that has taken him from jams in jazz clubs to classical recitals in European concert halls. 

The Paramount Theater will be one of the next stops on Marsalis' list, when the thousand-seat venue hosts An Evening with Branford Marsalis featuring the high-energy jazz of the Branford Marsalis Quartet on Tuesday, October 10 at 8 pm.

Over the course of its life, the Branford Marsalis Quartet has revealed an ability to express every kind of emotion, including an informed sense of history (2002's Footsteps of Our Fathers), a sensitivity to other artistic disciplines (2003's Romare Bearden Revealed), and a profound sense of intimacy stretching the concept of a "ballads album" (2004's Eternal).  Just released on September 12, The Quartet's new album Braggtown addresses all of these areas and more.  Drawing upon a world of astonishingly diverse inspirations, including 17th century English composer Henry Purcell, Indian warrior Black Elk, and Godzilla, Braggtown is the Marsalis band’s most comprehensive and compelling recording to date.

Marsalis realizes that music so uncompromisingly honest in all of its moods goes against the high-concept, keep-it-simple trend in current jazz recording, but he is unconcerned. "People who listen to the music on its own terms, who are eager listeners, will hear us,” he insists. “This album is for people who truly like music, rather than simply liking to be entertained by music ... I 've had my forays into pop culture, but I left to do this, and I’m willing to accept the consequences."

What is non-negotiable is the quality of the musicians and their powerful, highly-textured work.  "The band's just getting better," Marsalis confirms.  "It comes from the growth of each individual, which you can hear. What results is that, when we play together, we are a real group with our own sound.  Even if you heard the band only three or four years ago, we sound different -- tighter, more explosive.  This is the natural way that a band grows when everyone is working at getting better."

Seats for An Evening with Branford Marsalis are $60, $55, $52, and $49.   Tickets and further details are available online or through The Paramount’s Box Office at 434.979.1333.

For more information about Branford Marsalis, please visit www.branfordmarsalis.com.