Ellis Marsalis (1934-2020)

Ellis Marsalis, an elegant jazz pianist who chose to remain in his native New Orleans for much of his career while raising a family that included musician sons Wynton, Branford, Delfeayo and Jason, died on April 1. He was 85. 

Marsalis wasn't widely known among jazz fans outside of New Orleans for many years, largely because of his decision to become an educator at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, the University of New Orleans, and Xavier University of Louisiana. In exchange, as a teacher, he had enormous influence on artists such as Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr., Donald Harrison, Kent Jordan, Marlon Jordan, and Nicholas Payton.

Here are 10 tracks that capture the piano grace of Ellis Marsalis:

Here's Marsalis with Ed Blackwell and the American Jazz Quintet 2 in 1958 playing To Brownie...



Here's Marsalis with Nat Adderley on the title track to Adderley's In the Bag from 1962...



Here's Marsalis with Bob French and the Original Storyville Jazz Band playing Just a Closer Walk with Thee in 1978...



Here's Marsalis with tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb playing The Nearness of You on Cobb's Alive: Live in New Orleans in 1980...



Here's Marsalis with saxophonist Eddie Harris playing Marsalis's beautiful Homecoming, from the album of the same name recorded in 1985...



Here's the entire Ellis Marsalis Trio album from 1990, with Robert Hurst on bass and Jeff “Tain" Watts on drums...



Here's Marsalis playing Have You Met Miss Jones from his Heart of Gold album recorded in 1991...



Here's Marsalis on Whistle Stop with son Branford in 1994...



Here's Ellis with sons Branford and Wynton playing Alice in Wonderland from his Loved Ones album in 1995...



And here's Marsalis playing Impressions from The Ellis Marsalis Quintet Plays the Music of Ellis Marsalis in 2018...