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Contact:
Public Relations Director
The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra
Phone: 407/896-6700 x 223
Fax: 407/896-5512
gmiller@orlandophil.org
www.orlandophil.org |
(Orlando, FL – March 7, 2005) -
The Orlando Philharmonic welcomes Grammy Award winning
saxophonist Branford Marsalis to the Bob Carr stage
for the ninth concert in the Phil at Carr Series, Branford
Marsalis Saxophone Escapades. The
concert is held on Saturday, April 2, with a matinee
performance at 2:00 PM and an evening performance at
8:00 PM, at the Bob Carr performing Arts Centre, 401
W. Livingston Street, Orlando.
Branford
Marsalis Saxophone Escapades is sponsored by
Siemens Westinghouse Power Corporation. Artist
Sponsors are Cingular Wireless, Donavan Dean Architects
and The Westin Grand Bohemian.
In
this program, Marsalis veers away from his well-known
jazz style to perform some music of a classical nature.
Marsalis’ classical
performance demonstrates the range of his musical talents. In
his assessment of Marsalis’ classical work, Wes
Phillips of onhifi.com calls the artist "an innovative
jazz saxophonist who also happens to be a classical
performer with phenomenal technique."
In
this program, Marsalis performs Escapades for Saxophone
and Orchestra by John Williams (made popular in
the movie, Catch Me if You Can), Fantasia by
Heitor Villa-Lobos and Scaramouche by Darius
Milhaud.
The
concert also features the Philharmonic performing Gershwin’s American
in Paris, Chabrier’s España and
Debussy’s Nocturnes for Orchestra.
Marsalis,
a New Orleans native, was born into one of the city's
most distinguished musical families, which includes
brothers Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason, and the family
patriarch, pianist/music educator Ellis Marsalis. In
1984, Branford released Scenes In the City, his first
album for Columbia Jazz, which began his thriving jazz
career as a solo artist. He also made successful
forays into the pop world with artists such as The
Grateful Dead, Sting and Bruce Hornsby.
Marsalis
won his first Grammy in 1993 for Best Jazz Instrumental
Performance, Individual or Group, for his album “I
Heard You Twice the First Time,” and another
in 1994 (Best Pop Instrumental Performance for “Barcelona
Mona,” a single he recorded with Bruce Hornsby
for the Olympics in Spain.) His 1993 trio album, “Bloomington,” was
hailed as a landmark in contemporary jazz, which Bill
Kohlhasse of the Los Angeles Times called "revealing
and beautiful in ways only the best improvisational
music can be."
In
1995, he was nominated for yet another Grammy, in the
category of Best Pop Instrumental Performance, for
his stirring rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner.
Known
for his innovative spirit and broad musical scope,
Marsalis is equally at home on the stages of the world’s
greatest jazz clubs and classical halls. His recording
career as a leader encompasses fourteen jazz albums
and two classical albums under his own name, plus two
Buckshot LeFonque pop releases. His final recording
for Columbia Records, “Contemporary Jazz,” garnered
the saxophonist’s third Grammy Award, and captured
what Howard Reich of the Chicago Tribune described
as “a new level of emotional intensity and instrumental
brilliance.”
Today,
Marsalis is shaping the future of jazz in the classroom. He
recently took a part-time position with San Francisco
State University as part of their music faculty. This
follows a similar association with Michigan State University,
where Marsalis taught, first as a visiting scholar
and then as a part-time faculty member.
The
Orlando Philharmonic's classical repertoire will take
flight as Marsalis puts a classical twist to the program
as only he can do. Join the Orlando Philharmonic
Orchestra for two performances of Branford
Marsalis - Saxophone Escapades on April
2, at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, when this jazz virtuoso's exuberant
sense of style is showcased in a classical performance
you won't forget.
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