New Orleans-born saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. An NEA Jazz Master and three-time Grammy Award winner, Marsalis has spent more than four decades expanding the boundaries of jazz, classical, and popular music. He is universally recognized as the leader of the legendary Branford Marsalis Quartet, an ensemble formed in 1986 that remains a gold standard for modern jazz innovation. Marsalis’s creative curiosity spans multiple genres. As a highly sought-after classical soloist, he regularly performs with elite ensembles like the New York Philharmonic and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He is also an acclaimed composer for screen and stage, earning Tony and Emmy nominations for his work on Broadway’s Fences and film scores such as Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom and Rustin. In recent years, Marsalis has achieved significant milestones by signing with Blue Note Records. Following the 2025 release of Belonging, the Quartet teamed up with celebrated vocalist Dianne Reeves to release Dedicated to You in September 2026. This acclaimed tribute album honors the centennial of John Coltrane’s birth by revisiting his historic 1963 collaboration with Johnny Hartman, which the ensemble is currently promoting on a worldwide tour.