Chapter 3: Becoming a Recording Artist
Wynton's popularity as a touring artist lands him a deal with Columbia Records
Columbia Records
With his rapid success as a touring musician, the world continued to open up for Wynton. Columbia Records (founded in 1889), the oldest surviving brand name in the recorded sound business, jumped to sign him in 1980.
Wynton Marsalis album artwork (January 8, 1982) by Wynton Marsalis; Produced by Herbie Hancock; Executive Producer: Dr. George ButlerWynton Marsalis
"Hesitation"
From Wynton's debut album Wynton Marsalis. Music by Wynton Marsalis. Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Branford Marsalis (saxophone); Jeff Watts (drums); Tony Williams (drums); Ron Carter (bass). Produced by Herbie Hancock.
Executive Producer: George Butler. Columbia Records, Inc.
Released in January 1982, it was produced by Herbie Hancock. In the album’s liner notes, Stanley Crouch confidently proclaimed, “Wynton Marsalis is one of the most remarkable young musicians to appear in jazz since the 1960s.” The album would earn him a 1982 GRAMMY nomination.
Wynton's first studio album was a self-titled record featuring the Wynton Marsalis Quintet: a mix of established legends from the old ward of jazz (Ron Carter, Tony Williams and Herbie Hancock), and newcomers (Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland and Jeff “Tain” Watts).
Hadyn, Hummel, L. Mozart: Trumpet Concertos album artwork (June 28, 1983) by Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; National Philharmonic Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, conductorWynton Marsalis
"II. Allegro Moderato"
Marsalis performing "II. Allegro Moderato" by L. Mozart- Concerto in D Major for Trumpet and Orchestra. Music by Leopold Mozart. Wynton Marsalis, trumpet; National Philharmonic Orchestra; Raymond Leppard, conductor. Produced by Thomas Mowrey. Columbia Records, Inc.
But with all his success as a jazz artist, classical music was not lost in the fold. After releasing his debut record, Wynton switched musical gears. Come 1983, he recorded and released his first classical record: Trumpet Concertos: Hadyn, Hummel, Mozart.
That same year, he produced yet another jazz album called Think Of One. This artistic move would make him the first and only artist to win both classical and jazz GRAMMY awards in the same year.
Wynton repeated the feat of a double jazz/ classical GRAMMY win again in 1984 with Hot House Flowers and Wynton Marsalis Plays Handel, Purcell, Torelli, Fasch, and Molter. The GRAMMY recognition streak extenuated into ’85 with Black Codes (From the Underground), J Mood in ’86, and 1987's Marsalis Standard Time, Vol. 1.
An album hot with passion (Released December 12, 1984) by Wynton Marsalis. Art Direction: Mark Larson Photography: Carol Friedman. CBS Inc.Wynton Marsalis
"Hot House Flowers"
This song is inked with enigma and raw emotion; it is simultaneously commanding and sensual. Kent Jordan's flute work adds a particularly intriguing and unexpected element to this piece and others on the album.
Above: In the liner notes for Hot House Flowers, Stanley Crouch writes: "Hot House Flowers, then, is an especially good title. Good because this album seems fashioned, on one level at least, to celebrate the sweet riddles and modulated heats of romantic love. Also, intent on nurturing melodic blooms in apparently barren places. Plus: is the result of the golden-brown history of American trumpet, a history made in the audacious hothouses of rhythm and dead-eyed passions, where the enemy was never depth of emotion but the sentimentality and hysteria that made all forms of romance seem repulsive instead of inspiring and uplifting."
Unfurling of the codes (Released June 9, 1985) by Art Direction: Mark Larson. Photography: Gary Heery. Columbia Records.Wynton Marsalis
"Delfeayo's Dilemma"
Music by Wynton Marsalis. Wynton Marsalis (trumpet); Jeff Watts (drums); Charnett Moffett (bass); Kenny Kirkland (paino); Branford Marsalis (tenor and soprano saxophone). Produced by Wynton Marsalis. Executive Producer: Dr. George Butler. Columbia Records.
More specifically, Black Codes (From the Underground) is a reference to 19th-century slave laws designed to prevent slaves from escaping this existence. They barred access to everything other than what was necessary to keep the enslaved alive and performing manual labor.
Above: the album artwork for Marsalis's Black Codes (From the Underground). Pictured on the cover is Wynton's younger brother, Jason Marsalis. As is true with much of Wynton's music, the album's theme focused on the Black American experience.
"Catching a Snake" (1985) by A & EWynton Marsalis
In 1985, A&E produced a 1-hour documentary on Wynton called "Catching a Snake." This profile follows Wynton from his childhood home in New Orleans, through the jazz clubs of New York City to an orchestral recording in London.
The documentary exhibits Wynton's wide range of talent and experience.
In these early years of his recording career, Wynton was able to breathe new life into an artform that had been seen as antiquated and oftentimes inferior to the likes of classical and other white-dominated musical genres. It was a key turning point in the history of jazz music. At the same time, Wynton was paving the way for new faces to be revered in fields where black artists were rarely featured. His work in both these fields was groundbreaking both for the era and for someone of such a young age.
Curated by Julia Engel. Wynton Marsalis Enterprises, Inc.
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