The most famous jazz musician since 1980, Wynton Marsalis had a major impact on jazz almost from the start. The son of pianist Ellis Marsalis, the younger brother of Branford and the older brother of Delfeayo and Jason, Wynton received his first trumpet at age six from Al Hirt. He went to Juilliard when he was 18 and in 1980, he made his first recordings with the Art Blakey Big Band. By 1981, the young trumpeter was the talk of the jazz world. In 1982, Marsalis recorded his first classical album; he was immediately ranked as one of the top classical trumpeters of all time. In 1997, Marsalis’ marathon Blood on the Fields became the first jazz-based work to win a Pulitzer Prize. With the passing of so many jazz giants, Marsalis’ importance continued to grow. Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk followed in 1999 to coincide with the popular PBS special. Then Marsalis released the seven-disc set Live at the Village Vanguard. Mid-2000 saw the release of Marciac Suite and Goin’ Down Home. Two years later, Marsalis celebrated the blues on All Rise. Next up was The Magic Hour. In 2008, Marsalis teamed up with country icon Willie Nelson for the live album Two Men with the Blues. In 2011, he returned with the live album Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles, which once again paired him with Nelson as well as Norah Jones. Also in 2011, Marsalis, who had previously guested on guitarist Eric Clapton’s 2010 album Clapton, again paired with the rock/blues master for the concert album Play the Blues: Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center.