People

Who is Branford Marsalis? See Net-worth, Quote, Awards, Fact, Wiki

Branford Marsalis Quartet Wiki Biography

Branford Marsalis was born on 26 August 1960, in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA. He is a bandleader, composer, and saxophonist, best known for being called “the most respected living US jazz instrumentalist”. He’s played jazz mainly as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.

How rich is Branford Marsalis? As of mid-2017, sources inform us of a net worth that is at $5 million, mostly earned through a successful career in the music industry. He also performs as a soloist and with classic ensembles. He’s also the leader of the group Buckshot LeFonque and as he continues his career, it is expected that his wealth will also continue to increase.

Branford Marsalis Net Worth $5 million

Branford grew up in a musical family, the son of pianist Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr and his brothers Jason, Wynton, and Delfeayo are also jazz musicians. He attended the Berklee College of Music in the mid-1980s, during which time he toured Europe with a large ensemble as well as other big bands. He played on alto and baritone saxophones, then going on a tour in Japan. He worked with his brother Wynton until 1985 which led to his own recording entitled “Scenes in the City”. Afterwards, he joined Sting on a solo project entitled “The Dream of the Blue Turtles”, becoming `a regular of Sting’s line-up until the late-90s. His net worth started to increase, as he also appeared in the compilation CD, “Stolen Moments: Red Hot + Cool” which was named as Time’s Album of the Year. He also co-starred in the film “School Daze” before becoming the leader of the Tonight Show Band on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”.

Branford released a Buckshot LeFonque recording in 1997, and would then focus on The Branford Marsalis Quartet. They toured and recorded extensively, eventually winning a Grammy for their album “Contemporary Jazz” which was released in 2001. His net worth increased further, and he then explored classical music in the album “Creation”. In 2002, he founded his own label entitled Marsalis Music and during the early 2000s, he started teaching in various college, including San Francisco State and North Carolina Central University. In 2006, he was rewarded with an Honorary Doctorate of Music from the Berklee College of Music. Marsalis then toured with the Philharmonia Brasileira in the United States. Subsequently his quartet joined the North Carolina Symphony in 2009, and the following year he won a Drama Desk Award and got a Tony Award nomination for his contributions to the Broadway revival of “Fences”. He made his debut with the New York Philharmonic in the same year, his net worth constantly rising.

Marsalis along with some of his family members received a 2011 NEA Jazz Masters Award. Afterwards, he released a duo album with Joey Calderazzo entitled “Songs of Mirth and Melancholy”. He followed this up with another release the following year entitled “Four MFs Playin’ Tunes”. In 2012, he was given an honorary Doctor of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. One of his latest performances was at the Democratic National Convention which he performed “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

For his personal life, it is known that Branford was married to Teresa Reese from 1985-94, and is now married to Nicole.



Full Name Branford Marsalis
Net Worth $5 Million
Date Of Birth August 26, 1960
Place Of Birth Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, USA
Profession American saxophonist
Education Southern University and A&M College, Berklee College of Music
Nationality American
Spouse Teresa Reese (m. 1985–1994), Nicole Marsalis
Parents Ellis Marsalis Jr., Dolores Marsalis
Siblings Wynton Marsalis, Delfeayo Marsalis, Jason Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis III, Mboya Kenyatta Marsalis
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/branfordmarsalis
Twitter https://twitter.com/bmarsalis
IMDB http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0550364/
Allmusic http://www.allmusic.com/artist/branford-marsalis-mn0000045379
Awards Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album, Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Performance, Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Music in a Play, No Backstage Pass, Jazz Thing, Itche Koutche, Oakland, CA, United States, San Diego, CA, United States
Music Groups Branford Marsalis Quartet, Buckshot LeFonque, The Jazz Messengers, No Backstage Pass, Jazz Thing, Itche Koutche, Oakland, CA, United States, San Diego, CA, United States
Nominations Tony Award for Best Original Score, NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Artist, No Backstage Pass, Jazz Thing, Itche Koutche, Oakland, CA, United States, San Diego, CA, United States
Movies No Backstage Pass, Jazz Thing, Itche Koutche, Oakland, CA, United States, San Diego, CA, United States, Mo’ Better Blues, Throw Momma from the Train, Eve’s Bayou, Bring on the Night, School Daze, Branford Marsalis: A Love Supreme Live, A Duo Occasion, Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem, Warren Hayn…
TV Shows The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Friday Night Videos, No Backstage Pass, Jazz Thing, Itche Koutche, Oakland, CA, United States, San Diego, CA, United States
Fact
1 Heads the Jazz/Hip-Hop band “Buckshot Le Fonque” [1997]
2 2007: TV commercial for LouisianaTravel.com.
3 Brother of Wynton Marsalis
4 Marsalis is an accomplishment saxaphonist, and has released several jazz albums
5 Attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts

Music Department

Title Year Status Character
Harry & Branford: A Duo Occasion 2005 Video documentary music mixer / music performer
She Hate Me 2004 musician: score
Osuofia in London 2003 Video composer: stock music – uncredited
A Huey P. Newton Story 2001 TV Movie documentary musician: soprano saxophone and tenor saxophone
Once in the Life 2000 conductor / music programmer / musician: soprano saxophone / orchestrator
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1992-1995 TV Series musical director – 291 episodes
Malcolm X 1992 musician
Sneakers 1992 musician
The Russia House 1990 featured musician: saxophone solo
Do the Right Thing 1989 musician: tenor and soprano saxophone, The Natural Spiritual Orchestra
School Daze 1988 musician

Soundtrack

Title Year Status Character
Bi no tsubo TV Series 1 episode, 2013 writer – 1 episode, 2013
The Great Buck Howard 2008 performer: “Tonite Show with Jay Leno” / writer: “Tonite Show with Jay Leno”
Idool 2007 2007 TV Series writer – 1 episode
Idols! 2005 TV Series writer – 1 episode
Bewitched 2005 writer: “Tonite Tonight Show Theme” – uncredited
Independent Lens 2005 TV Series documentary performer – 1 episode
Harry & Branford: A Duo Occasion 2005 Video documentary performer: “Chattanooga Choo Choo”, “Brown Worlds”, “Occasion”, “Valentine’s Day”, “Good to be Home”, “Virgoid”, “I LIke Love More”, “Spot”, “Steve Lacy”, “Light the Way”, “Chanson du Vieux Carre” / writer: “Occasion”, “Steve Lacy”
Idool 2004 2004 TV Series writer – 1 episode
Clockers 1995 writer: “Reality Check”
Baseball TV Mini-Series documentary performer – 2 episodes, 1994 arranger – 1 episode, 1994
Black to the Promised Land 1992 Documentary performer: “Three Little Words”
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1992 TV Series writer: “Tonite” – uncredited
Without a Pass 1991 music: “MURDER IN METROPOLIS” / producer: “MURDER IN METROPOLIS”
Sea of Love 1989 performer: “Lament”
School Daze 1988 “We’ve Already Said Goodbye Before We Said Hello”
Throw Momma from the Train 1987 writer: “LARRY’S SONG”, “THE HALLOWED TALES OF DELFBEAR”

Actor

Title Year Status Character
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival 2001 TV Mini-Series Host
Eve’s Bayou 1997 Harry
Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child 1995 TV Series Branford Frog
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 1994 TV Series Duane
Without a Pass 1991 Buddy Warren
Sesame Street 1991 TV Series Forrest Wimbledon
Mo’ Better Blues 1990 Party Guest
School Daze 1988 Jordan
Throw Momma from the Train 1987 Lester
Saturday Night Live 1987 TV Series
Horn of Plenty 1986 TV Short Cecil

Composer

Title Year Status Character
3 A.M. 2001
Once in the Life 2000
Goosed 1999
M’sieurs dames 1997 Short
Mr. and Mrs. Loving 1996 TV Movie
To My Daughter with Love 1994 TV Movie
Tales from the Crypt 1993 TV Series 1 episode
Black to the Promised Land 1992 Documentary
Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You 1992 Documentary
Without a Pass 1991
The Color of Love 1991
Branford Marsalis Steep 1988

Producer

Title Year Status Character
Harry & Branford: A Duo Occasion 2005 Video documentary executive producer

Self

Title Year Status Character
Politics Nation with Al Sharpton 2015 TV Series Himself
Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. 2012 TV Series documentary Himself
Brooklyn Boheme 2011 Documentary Himself
Angelique Kidjo & Friends: Spirit Rising 2011 TV Movie Himself
Sting: Live in Berlin 2010 TV Special Special Guest: Saxophone
Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone 2010 Documentary Himself
Top Chef 2009 TV Series Himself
When Weather Changed History 2009 TV Series documentary Himself
This Old House 2008 TV Series documentary Himself
Shake the Devil Off 2007 Documentary
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno 1992-2007 TV Series Himself – Musical Director / Himself
Before the Music Dies 2006 Documentary Himself – Musician
Soul Deep: The Story of Black Popular Music 2005 TV Mini-Series documentary Himself – Saxophonist
Harry & Branford: A Duo Occasion 2005 Video documentary Saxophone
Apollo at 70: A Hot Night in Harlem 2004 TV Movie documentary Himself
K Street 2003 TV Series Himself
Keeping Time: The Life, Music & Photography of Milt Hinton 2003 Documentary Himself
The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration 2003 TV Movie Himself
Added Attractions: The Hollywood Shorts Story 2002 TV Movie documentary Himself (uncredited)
Say It Loud: A Celebration of Black Music in America 2001 TV Mini-Series documentary
Motown 40: The Music Is Forever 1998 TV Movie documentary Himself
Howard Stern 1996 TV Series Himself
Late Night with Conan O’Brien 1994-1995 TV Series Himself – Musical Guest / Himself
Space Ghost Coast to Coast 1994 TV Series Himself
Living Single 1994 TV Series Himself
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air 1994 TV Series Himself
The Best of Disney Music: A Legacy in Song – Part I 1993 TV Movie Himself
Vicki! 1992 TV Series Himself
Branford Marsalis: The Music Tells You 1992 Documentary Himself
Baroque Duet 1992 TV Movie documentary Himself
Jazz at the Smithsonian: Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers 1991 Documentary Himself
Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego? 1991 TV Series Himself
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson 1991 TV Series Himself – Guest
Victory & Valor: Special Olympics World Games 1991 TV Movie documentary Himself
Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood 1990 TV Series Himself
Ebony/Jet Showcase 1986-1989 TV Series Himself
The Arsenio Hall Show 1989 TV Series Himself
Branford Marsalis Steep 1988 Himself
Late Night with David Letterman 1985-1988 TV Series Himself / Himself – Guest
Bring on the Night 1985 Documentary Himself

Archive Footage

Title Year Status Character
Making a Mark 2005 Video documentary short Himself

Won Awards

Year Award Ceremony Nomination Movie
2006 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Themes
2005 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Themes
2004 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Themes
2003 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Themes
2002 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Theme
2001 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Theme
2000 ASCAP Award ASCAP Film and Television Music Awards Most Performed Theme