The Essential Wynton Marsalis

Trumpeter Wynton Marsalis was the first musician to win a GRAMMY® in both the jazz and classical categories, initially in 1983 and again in 1984. So it’s appropriate that The Essential Wynton Marsalis would represent his recordings for both the Sony Classical and Columbia Jazz labels. The majority of the content is on the classical side, spanning from that award-winning Hayden Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major from 1983 to the third movement of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto, which he recorded in 1995. Marsalis’ disciplined mastery of tone perfectly suits the Baroque era, though he’s equally at home with contemporary works such as Henri Tomasi’s Triptyque for trumpet and piano (with Judith Lynn Stillman) from 1957. Five jazz recordings close the collection, including a brief yet incendiary live version of the standard “Cherokee” by his “classic” quartet with pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts.