LINC is happy to announce that the 10th Anniversary Benefit Concert will feature Wynton Marsalis, the most popular and acclaimed jazz musician and composer of our generation. The concert will take place at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall on Sunday evening, January 21, 2001 at 7:30 P.M. Wynton will appear in concert with his esteemed father, Ellis Marsalis, Jr., a widely respected musician, composer, and educator. Baltimore resident Ellis Marsalis, III, younger brother of Wynton is on LINC's Board of Directors and was instrumental in arranging for this extraordinary LINC fund-raiser.
Wynton, an eight-time Grammy Award winner in both the jazz and classic genres, is the youngest musician in the history of the Grammys to win the jazz soloist performance award for three consecutive years, and the first to win Grammys for both jazz and classical recordings. He has performed with the giants of jazz, including Art Blakey, Dizzy Gillespie, Sarah Vaughan, Elvin Jones, Harry “Sweets” Edison, the Modern Jazz Quartet, Joe Henderson, and Jon Hendricks, and has appeared as a soloist with many of the world’s leading symphony orchestras. Through his performances and recordings, his extensive work with children and students, and his role as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Mr. Marsalis has brought an increasingly wide audience to jazz and cast new light on its central place in American culture.
Wynton was given his first trumpet at age six. In high school he played for the New Orleans Civic Orchestra and entered the Berkshire Music Center’s summer program at Tanglewood. At age 17 he enrolled in The Julliard School of Music.
In 1980, Wynton went on the road with Art Blakey, and in 1981 with Herbie Hancock, who produced his debut album, which was nominated for a Grammy Award. Mr. Marsalis has been impressively prolific, sometimes releasing jazz and classical albums in the same year; in 1984 he stunned the music world when he won awards in both categories. Besides the torrent of recordings, Wynton has kept up a dizzying tour schedule, winning over audiences worldwide and headlining annual celebrations and festivals. It was quite a feat for Ellis III to get the January 21st date for LINC in light of Wynton's incredibly tight touring schedule.
Wynton is a devoted and passionate spokesman for jazz and for music education; he frequently conducts workshops for young people in the hope of keeping jazz vibrant and thriving. He has perpetuated the artistry of both famous and lesser-known jazz greats by organizing concerts and educational events around their works, and he continues to nurture flourishing careers of up and coming artists. It is with this mission in mind, that Wynton will perform for LINC's 10th Anniversary Celebration. It is our hope that the January event will showcase the talent of many local jazz musicians in a venue that will feed their dreams.
LINC is honored to have a man of such great accomplishment and his talented family members celebrate LINC's first decade of service.
Tickets will go on sale in the fall, and will be available through the Meyerhoff ticket office. For more information on the concert or to volunteer, call LINC at 410-659-5462. To purchase tickets, call the Meyerhoff Box Office at 410-783-8000 or 1-800-442-1198.®
