Recorded at the Kennedy Center on June 15, 2009,
Music Redeems features
the Marsalis Family performing live at a charity concert to benefit the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music -- part of the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village. Although conceived by
Branford Marsalis and
Harry Connick, Jr. prior to Hurricane Katrina, the Musicians' Village took on even more importance after the catastrophe as more musicians and their families were either displaced into inadequate housing or left homeless than ever before. Designed to raise funds and awareness for the Center, the concert also worked as a tribute to patriarch, longtime pianist, and educator
Ellis Marsalis. In a similar spirit to 2003's
The Marsalis Family: A Jazz Celebration -- which featured the family performing live in 2001 to mark
Ellis' retirement from teaching at New Orleans University -- here we once again see the family gather on-stage to pay homage to the elder
Marsalis and what his legacy means for New Orleans. As well as
Ellis himself, featured here are all of the Marsalises, including trumpeter
Wynton, saxophonist
Branford, trombonist
Delfeayo, drummer
Jason, and even poet
Ellis III, as well as pianist
Connick, bassist
Eric Revis, and drummer
Herlin Riley. The result is a joyous and heartfelt evening of music that mixes propulsive post-bop, swing, traditional New Orleans second line, and spoken word, and is a must-hear for fans of any of the individual members of
the Marsalis Family. ~ Matt Collar
![Little Girl Blue [2021 Stereo Remaster]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/4050538671476_p0_v1_s90x140.jpg "Little Girl Blue [2021 Stereo Remaster]")
