Saxophonist Branford Marsalis (1960) is the eldest son of pianist Ellis Marsalis and had his first band experience with Art Blakey, Lionel Hampton and Sting. His first album was called Scenes In The City (1984). In 1992 he became the bandleader of The Tonight Show house band and since 1995 he has toured with his project Buckshot LeFonque, a mix of blues, hip hop, R&B and of course: jazz. For the CD Metamorphosen (2009) Marsalis became engrossed in the work of none other than Richard Strauss. Marsalis performs with his 'working band': pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Justin Faulkner. Special guest Kurt Elling (1967) will also join the band, a versatile vocalist who enters in all sorts of adventures with his material without losing touch with lyrics and content. He received the Edison Jazz Oeuvre award in 2014. Their joint album Upward Spiral has been released in June.
