Join us on a fascinating musical journey with the Branford Marsalis Quartet, a group that has become synonymous with excellence in contemporary music. Led by the legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the Quartet will be performing at various prestigious venues across the United States. With a repertoire that encompasses both jazz classics and original compositions, these events promise to be unforgettable experiences for music lovers everywhere. Discover how Marsalis and his ensemble merge diverse musical genres, and experience the magic of live performance that only this Quartet can deliver.

Branford Marsalis Quartet: A Journey Through Jazz and Chamber Music

The Branford Marsalis Quartet is one of the most dynamic and influential ensembles in modern jazz. Known for their unparalleled technical mastery, deep musical synergy, and adventurous spirit, the quartet seamlessly blends post-bop, blues, and contemporary jazz influences. The group delivers electrifying performances characterized by tight interplay, expressive improvisation, and a fearless approach to musical storytelling. Whether interpreting jazz standards or pushing the boundaries with original compositions, the Branford Marsalis Quartet continues to set the gold standard for small ensemble jazz.

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Branford Marsalis Quartet

Clayton State University

Branford Marsalis is one of the most versatile and accomplished saxophonists of his generation, renowned for his mastery of jazz, classical, and contemporary music. Born into the legendary Marsalis musical family in New Orleans, he first gained prominence as a member of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and later joined his brother Wynton Marsalis’s quintet, helping to define the sound of modern jazz in the 1980s. His career took a dynamic turn when he became the musical director for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno in the early ’90s, showcasing his ability to blend jazz with mainstream entertainment while reaching a broader audience.

The Majestic Ventura Theater

New Orleans-born Branford Marsalis is an award-winning saxophonist, band leader, featured classical soloist, and a film and Broadway composer. In the process, he has become a multi award-winning artist with three Grammys, a citaton by the National Endowment for the Arts as a Jazz Master and an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence.

Rockport Music-Shalin Liu Performance Center

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. After the Grammy‐nominated Upward Spiral, on which guest vocalist Kurt Elling was seamlessly integrated into the group, the Quartet followed up with the Grammy‐nominated The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, its most emotionally wide‐ranging and melody driven collection to date. John Zeugner captured the impact of the Quartet in live performance in a recent concert review, calling it “casually confident, professional, cerebral, and supercharged with energy.  The Branford Marsalis Quartet…was all of those adjectives and more.” This spring the Quartet makes its Blue Note Records debut with the March 28 release of Belonging, a full album interpretation of Keith Jarrett’s 1974 ECM album of the same name.

Hart Plaza

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner, and Tony and EMMY Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet.

Lesher Center for the Arts

NEA Jazz Master and three-time Grammy Award winner, legendary saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most revered figures in contemporary music. He returns with the Branford Marsalis Quartet for more virtuosic improvisations supercharged by the quartet’s extraordinary energy and telepathic musical connection.

California State University, Long Beach

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, NEA Jazz Master, GRAMMY Award winner, and Tony Award nominee, is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics.

Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

Marsalis, the NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee, is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. The celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. John Zeugner captured the impact of the Quartet in live performance in a recent concert review, calling it “casually confident, professional, cerebral, and supercharged with energy. The Branford Marsalis Quartet…was all of those adjectives and more.”

Robert and Margrit Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is one of the most influential and revered figures in contemporary music. The NEA Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner, and Tony Award nominee is equally at home performing concertos with symphony orchestras and sitting in with members of the Grateful Dead, but the core of his musical universe remains the Branford Marsalis Quartet. After more than three decades of existence with minimal personnel changes, this celebrated ensemble is revered for its uncompromising interpretation of a kaleidoscopic range of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. After the Grammy‐nominated Upward Spiral, on which guest vocalist Kurt Elling was seamlessly integrated into the group, the Quartet has followed up with the Grammy‐nominated The Secret Between the Shadow and the Soul, its most emotionally wide‐ranging and melody-driven collection to date. John Zeugner captured the impact of the Quartet in live performance in a recent concert review, calling it “casually confident, professional, cerebral, and supercharged with energy. The Branford Marsalis Quartet . . . was all of those adjectives and more.”

An Evening with Branford Marsalis

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis continues to thrill audiences around the world even after four decades in the international spotlight. From his initial recognition as a young jazz lion, he has expanded his vision as an instrumentalist, composer, bandleader and educator, crossing stylistic boundaries while maintaining an unwavering creative integrity. In the process, he has become an avatar of contemporary artistic excellence winning three Grammy Awards, a Tony nomination for his work as a composer on Broadway, and a citation by the National Endowment for the Arts as Jazz Master.

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

Announced in early 2025, the Branford Marsalis Jazz Quartet will debut their first album with Blue Note Records, which will be an interpretation of the 1974 Keith Jarrett album Belonging. The Quartet will perform a few songs from the album in addition to original compositions to be played with the full orchestra and a selection of jazz classics.

Branford Marsalis Jazz Quartet

Robinson Fine Arts Center

Saxophonist Branford Marsalis is a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, Grammy Award winner, Tony Award nominee, and one of the most influential figures in contemporary music. For more than three decades, the core of his musical universe has been the Branford Marsalis Quartet, an ensemble celebrated for its uncompromising interpretation of both original compositions and jazz and popular classics. Following up on the Grammy‐nominated albums Upward Spiral and The Secret Between the Shadow, the group’s new debut release on Blue Note Records is Belonging, a complete interpretation of Keith Jarrett’s 1974 album of the same name.

Branford Marsalis Quartet

Feb 21, 2026

Branford Marsalis Jazz Quartet

Mar 20, 2026