Branford Marsalis

The Profile

Branford Marsalis (born 1960) is an American saxophonist from New Orleans. He rose to prominence in the 1980s, working with Art Blakey, appearing on Miles Davis's "Decoy", collaborating with Sting, and releasing landmark albums such as Scenes in the City and Random Abstract.

Plays tenor and soprano saxophone; brother of Wynton Marsalis; collaborated with Art Blakey, Sting and Miles Davis; born in 1960 in New Orleans.

A highly positive, erudite review frames Random Abstract as a cornerstone of Branford Marsalis's work, praising its ensemble cohesion and the extended reinterpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." The review situates Marsalis within Mainstream Jazz and Post-bop while noting his versatility and collaborations with Sting and Miles Davis.