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Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra

Uptown Jazz Orchestra’s mission is to promote the rich cultural legacy of American music through both entertaining and educational performances. Our educational shows are designed to give young people a greater awareness of important historical figures and musical traditions. All other shows are designed specifically with the intent of folks having a good time … hands clapping, toes tapping and rump shaking!

In 2007, NEA Jazz Master and Grammy Award winning trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis formed the Uptown Jazz Orchestra (UJO) for the purpose of keeping important jazz music traditions alive; such as riff-playing, spontaneous group improvisations, and collective New Orleans instrumental polyphony. At the time, Marsalis realized that the New Orleans music community was lacking the infusion of young homegrown talent outside of the great brass band tradition, and chose to form an orchestra that could present traditional, classic, and modern compositions with authenticity. Since that time, UJO has grown into one of the premier large ensembles in the world, releasing four CDs to critical acclaim, and touring locally, nationally, and internationally.

In 2008, Marsalis founded the educational program, “Swinging with the Cool School” (a soft introduction to jazz for hip tots and adults), which was used as an experimental form of music therapy at the New Orleans Children Hospital. The Cool School has since expanded to introduce live instrumental jazz to students around the country, with the intent of helping young people develop a relationship with music that has gradually disappeared from mainstream radio and media at large. Through these performances, UJO is able to introduce students (and adults) to the wide emotional range of instrumental music. 

Since 2021, UJO has produced the annual Jazz at Congo Square Festival (JACS) to celebrate New Orleans culture by presenting live performances of musicians, poets, dancers, and Black Masking Indians to local and visiting audiences. JACS Festival also features local food, arts & craft vendors. Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra plan to continue using the great legacy of American music to engage and hopefully inspire the younger generations for many years.

Gear

Trombones, Trumpets, Saxophones, Drums, Piano & Bass


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Album Review

Delfeayo Marsalis Uptown Jazz Orchestra: Uptown on Mardi Gras Day

Read "Uptown on Mardi Gras Day" reviewed by Jack Bowers


Even though New Orleans' lively and colorful holiday festival is the focal point of trombonist Delfeayo Marsalis' Uptown Jazz Orchestra's latest recording, this is an album that can be heard and appreciated at any time of the year, as there is never a day when pleasure and happiness aren't in style. Delfeayo, a member of the multi-talented Marsalis family from New Orleans that includes brothers Branford (who is a guest artist on two tracks), trumpeter Wynton and ...

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Performance / Tour

Jazz this week: Sean Jones Quartet, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Nutria, a new weekly jam session, and more

Jazz this week: Sean Jones Quartet, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Nutria, a new weekly jam session, and more

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman

This week's calendar of live jazz and creative music in St. Louis features some top talent on trumpet and trombone, the local debut of an up-and-coming band from New Orleans, a new weekly jam session, and more. Let's go to the highlights... Wednesday, February 28 Trumpeter Sean Jones returns with his quartet for the first of four nights at Jazz at the Bistro. Jones (pictured, top left) has been a frequent visitor to St. Louis in recent years, turning up ...

“The Uptown Jazz Orchestra fills every inch of the room with a joyous noise.” – Michael

Elliott, PopMatters

“The UJO sound [combines] the dance-first sensibility of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band crossed with Count Basie’s early riff bands and post-1952 ‘New Testament’ orchestras [and] the sophisticated dialects of Ellington, Mingus, Coltrane and Kenny Kirkland.” – Ted Panken, DownBeat

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Concerts

Music

Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson

Uptown on Mardi Gras...

Troubadour Jass
2023

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Uptown on Mardi Gras Day

From: Uptown on Mardi Gras Day
By Delfeayo Marsalis & The Uptown Jazz Orchestra

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