born Oct. 18, 1961, New Orleans, La., U.S.
U.S. trumpeter and composer.
Marsalis was a trumpet prodigy and was recognized as an important soloist in both the classical and jazz traditions at an early age. He joined Art Blakey 's Jazz Messengers (198082) before leading his own groups. As a composer he has written ballet and concert works, and he won the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for his oratorio Blood on the Fields . He also worked on Ken Burns's Jazz miniseries and was a catalyst in the revival of broad interest in jazz .