Ann Arbor Times

Branford Marsalis, the Grammy-winning saxophonist, expressed his views on the intersection of music and social activism during a recent talk at the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. The event, titled “Branford Marsalis: A life of art and engagement,” was held in Joan and Sanford Weill Hall’s Annenberg Auditorium.

Marsalis acknowledged the importance of social activism but admitted to finding it challenging to balance with his musical career. “Playing music is so hard — I don’t really have time for (activism),” he told attendees. Despite this, he remains aware of global events and their historical contexts, which can influence his music by conveying emotions rather than facts.

During the discussion with fellow musician Jeff Karoub, Marsalis emphasized that "music is about people — it’s not about music." He believes that musicians often lose touch with reality when they focus solely on music itself.

Marsalis has a diverse career spanning jazz, classical, pop, funk, and more. He is currently reading Anne Applebaum's "Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Rule the World," reflecting his interest in history and world affairs.

He likened music to a "big gumbo pot," where various influences blend together without being individually discernible. His collaborations include work with artists like Sonny Rollins and Sting.

As an educator for decades, Marsalis values learning from different musical forms but criticizes purists who separate them. He notes that despite differences in sound between artists like Jimi Hendrix and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, they both use the same 12 notes of the Western scale.

Philippa Pham Hughes interviewed Marsalis at the event. She referenced artist David Wojnarowicz's belief that creating beauty is an artist's role in resistance. Hughes stated that making great art contributes to a world where beauty surrounds us all. In response to her comments on art as resistance, Marsalis said: “Yeah, all right... I’ll buy that.”

Marsalis performed two concerts presented by the University Musical Society during his visit to Ann Arbor: one with the Branford Marsalis Quartet on February 19th and another classical performance with the Branford Marsalis Chamber Project on February 21st.