Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra at the Broad Stage, March 11

The main stage presents Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra for their Broad Stage debut on Friday, March 11, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. on the Main Stage.

When Delfeayo Marsalis and the Downtown Jazz Orchestra get on stage, the public is guaranteed to have, as the words go, a jazz evening, all night long! Since 2008, UJO has been pushing the boundaries of what is expected of great bands, playing with an extraordinary sense of joy and fun that can only come from New Orleans. With influences from Louis Armstrong for Count Basie, James Brown to performances by J. Cole, Marsalis and UJO help free the mind, warm the heart and heal the soul. The addition of vocalist and The Voice semi-finalist Tonya Boyd-Cannon adds an electrifying element that engages audiences through call-and-response songs and gospel-inspired chanting.

WRTI Radio Philadelphia notes, “The music is both progressive and traditional, containing musical influences from across the jazz and blues universe and unmistakably rooted in New Orleans second-line grooves.”

UJO’s unique approach stems from Marsalis’ experiences with music legends Ray CharlesArt Blakey, Elvin Jones and Fats Domino. “The band’s model is that we can play music from any decade, with conviction and authority,” Marsalis told the Santa Barbara Independent. “One minute you’re on the streets of New Orleans, the next at the Apollo, at a juke joint in Mississippi, or at a soulful religious function. We’re definitely a wellness group that focuses on the entertaining people from the first note to the last!”

Broad Stage Artistic Director Rob Bailis says, “Delfeayo is one of jazz’s most beloved artists. He’s extraordinary at what he does – he carries on the tradition of New Orleans jazz. He’s literally the bearer culture of tradition at the height of its powers.

Tickets starting at $45 are available at thebroadstage.org or by calling 310.434.3200, or visiting the box office at 1310 11th St. Santa Monica CA 90401, beginning three hours before the performance.

At the age of 17, Marsalis began his career as a producer and has produced over 130 recordings to date, winning Grammy Awards and multiple nominations. In 2000, he created the Downtown Musical Theater, a non-profit organization that empowers New Orleans youth through drama training. He has written 18 musicals and composed over 100 songs that help introduce children to jazz through musical theatre. His Swinging with the Cool School “gentle introduction to jazz” workshops have reached more than 7,500 students nationwide.

Marsalis holds a dual bachelor’s degree in music performance and production from Berklee College of Music, a master’s degree in jazz performance from the University of Louisville, and a doctorate from New England College.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marsalis founded the non-profit association Keep New Orleans Music Alive (KNOMA) in 2020, to provide emergency relief and health services information to native New Orleans performers.