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Wynton Marsalis | Essential albums and listening guide
Explore Wynton Marsalis through Black Codes (From the Underground). Discover what to listen for and follow related styles to your next record.
Wynton Marsalis
Meet the artist
A trumpeter who has deep respect for the traditions of New Orleans jazz, while also possessing a classical musical sensibility. He also dedicated himself to the preservation and education of jazz music. A clear trumpet sound and close attention to swing underpin his work.
Blues and New Orleans traditions inform small-group improvisation as well as larger compositions. Studying earlier styles becomes a means of creating living dialogue. Forms and exchanges between horns show how tradition can give partners a shared language rather than simply impose restrictions. Educational work extends that commitment to the next generation.
Where to start listening
Listen to the clearly outlined trumpet tone and the rhythm section's small responses. The move from theme to solo can help reveal the performance's structure.
1985Black Codes (From the Underground)
Wynton Marsalis
With his quartet with brother Brinford, a young Winton vividly updated the language of hard bop in the 1980s. This is a masterpiece by Winton.
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1983Think of One
Wynton Marsalis
It’s one of Wynton Marsalis’ early masterpiece works that earned him a Grammy Award. The album features a quintet, including his brothers as musicians. It vividly demonstrated a return to traditional jazz music.
Open this album in the Atlas →
Years follow the Atlas catalogue. Recording dates, original release dates and digital reissue dates may differ.