Branford Marsalis begins select US performances with trumpeter Terence Blanchard on October 1st and 2nd at Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Rose Theater in New York, NY and continues with performances through the spring of 2012.

Recorded at a live concert in Washington, DC honoring the family’s patriarch and the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival’s Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Ellis Marsalis, The Marsalis Family, releases Music Redeems. All proceeds from the sale of the album will go to educational programming at the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music in the Musicians’ Village of New Orleans.

Branford Marsalis makes his debut with the New York Philharmonic

Making his debut with the New York Philharmonic, Branford Marsalis performed on the Great Lawn of Central Park alongside conductor Andrey Boreyko. Performing Glazunov’s “Concerto for Alto Saxophone” and Schulhoff’s “Hot-Sonate for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra,” Marsalis performed the same program again with the New York Philharmonic in Vail, CO later during the summer and then at Lincoln Center in New York, NY the following February.

It is announced that The Marsalis Family (Ellis, Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo, and Jason) is a recipient of the 2011 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Award. This is the nation's highest honor in jazz and the first time that it is awarded to a family.

Branford Marsalis is nominated for a 2010 Tony Award AND a 2010 Drama Desk Award for his participation in the Broadway revival of August Wilson's 'Fences.' The Tony Award is in the category of "Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre" and the Drama Desk Award, which Marsalis goes on to win, is in the category of "Outstanding Music in a Play." 

Branford Marsalis Quartet perform in Asia, Australia, and New Zealand

The Branford Marsalis Quartet heads overseas to perform in Asian cities such as Tokyo, Japan, Nagoya, Japan, and Singapore, Malaysia. The group then travels to Subiaco, Melbourne, South Bank, and Sydney, Australia, before wrapping up the tour in Wellington, New Zealand.

Branford Marsalis performs Debussy’s “Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra,” Brahms’ “Spanish Lied” and Schubert’s “Du Bist Die Ruh” with the Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal. Conducted by Kent Nagano.

Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo record their first duo album

After working together for over 10 years in the band setting, Branford Marsalis and Joey Calderazzo head into the studio to recording their first duo album.