Professor Delfeayo Marsalis is meeting with UISA “Art of Jazz” course students at The Hartt School. He’s a guest lecturer for the Art of Jazz course, thanks to their equally experienced instructor, Professor Matthew DeChamplain, jazz pianist and historian. He visits every few weeks for a special lecture about the history of ragtime, blues, swing, and bebop. Professor Marsalis is the current artist-in-residence for The Hartt School’s Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz. He will also be giving a masterclass in Berkman Auditorium on April 26 at 5 p.m.

Prof. Marsalis is a renowned American trombonist from New Orleans and the brother of trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. He toured the U.S. for many years and has recorded a number of jazz albums since the 1990s. He is a progenitor of the unique New Orleans style of playing jazz and is a 2011 recipient of the Jazz Masters Award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

His ensemble, Delfeayo Marsalis, and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra play nightly at Dizzy’s Club in NYC. He also collaborates with Jazz at the Lincoln Center and has countless stories to tell of his father, Ellis Marsalis Jr., a jazz musician, and teacher. Much of his stories provided insight into his own views on the history of U.S. jazz. Professor Delfeayo Marsalis is one cool cat, to say the least!