‘Similar to a large gumbo pot’
According to Branford Marsalis, the globe requires both social campaigners and creators. However, the Grammy-winning saxophonist expressed that he struggles to fulfill both roles.
“Performing music is incredibly challenging — I genuinely lack the time for (activism),” Marsalis shared with a crowd Thursday at the Annenberg Auditorium in Joan and Sanford Weill Hall at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. “I mean, I have my own thoughts, but I need to rehearse every day and I’m perpetually absorbing music. … I’m uncertain how to balance those two aspects.”
The discussion, held between two performances — one jazz and the other classical — at the University of Michigan, was advertised as “Branford Marsalis: A journey of artistry and involvement.” Marsalis appears to feel most at ease connecting with his audience through his craft.
“Music revolves around people — it’s not solely about the music,” he stated. “This is where we start to detach from reality. Numerous musicians believe that music is just about music, which is the reason why people don’t appreciate them.”
Branford Marsalis interacts with a fan following a lecture at the Ford School. Two men, grinning and sharing laughs.
Branford Marsalis discusses music with author and fellow musician Jeff Karoub. (Image: Andrew Mascharka, Michigan Photography.)
Marsalis, whose career has traversed various styles including jazz, classical, pop, funk, and beyond, is not oblivious to current global events — or past occurrences. The individual whose favorite subject in school was history is presently reading “Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Rule the World” by Anne Applebaum.
You need to be aware of global happenings, the native of New Orleans emphasizes, and comprehend them within the framework of human history. Everything you absorb and understand can certainly influence your music, but he perceives it in terms of expressing emotions and sentiments, rather than mere facts.
“Music resembles a large gumbo pot, and the more skilled you are, the more ingredients you can add, enhancing its flavor,” he remarked. “And you won’t taste those individual elements. Then people ask, ‘Well, can you share that recipe?’ because they can’t discern those individual flavors.”
“And that’s the essence of music. All these influences, all these varied inspirations, contribute a unique depth and weight to your performance, but not in an obvious manner. You can’t just point and say, ‘Oh, yeah, he’s influenced by the Grateful Dead. I can tell.’ No, it’s merely a part of the overall blend.”
Marsalis, whose numerous musical partnerships include the Dead, Sonny Rollins, and Sting, has also dedicated decades to teaching. He acknowledges that each musical genre has its unique cultural origins and lessons to impart, yet he is critical of purists who create divisions between them. Jimi Hendrix and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may not sound alike, but they “utilize the same 12 notes” of the Western scale.
Marsalis, once a late-night show bandleader with a successful musical lineage that includes trumpeter brother Wynton, asserted that his purpose is “to create music,” but recognizes the impact it may have that transcends just the notes.
His interviewer was Philippa Pham Hughes, a visiting artist at the University of Michigan Museum of Art and a lecturer at the Ford School, which organized the event. She referenced the words of David Wojnarowicz, an artist and AIDS advocate, who expressed that the role of artists is to generate beauty in the world.
“We aren’t required to be on the front lines of everything,” Hughes remarked. “Our form of resistance is to keep producing art, make it exceptional, and advocate for a world where art can flourish and beauty can surround all of us.”
“Yeah, sure,” Marsalis responded, “I can agree with that.”