Ken Burns’ epic Jazz has it’s many detractors, and for a whole bunch of good reasons. However, despite its shortcomings, there are so many great interviews from the series. This one, with saxophonist Branford Marsalis, is a long (35 pages!), wide ranging interview on every aspect of jazz imaginable. Here is Branford on the saxophone in jazz:
“Well, the saxophone is, is the jazz instrument, as far as I’m concerned there is no other jazz instrument. Louis Armstrong played trumpet and at that time, that was the jazz instrument. But, the music started to change and the saxophones became a focal point in big band swing music. But when Charlie Parker came on the scene, he made the saxophone king. And we’re still the kings. We, we run the show.”
Click here to read Branford Marsalis on Ken Burns’ Jazz 1996
-Peter Blasevick
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