Born November 14, 1934, in New Orleans, LA; married Dolores Ferdinand, 1958; children: Branford, Wynton, Ellis III, Delfeayo, Mboya, and Jason. Education: Dillard University, B.A., 1955; Loyola University, M.A. in music education, 1986. Military/Wartime Service: U.S. Marine Corps, 1956-58. Memberships: U.S. Marine Corps, 1956-58. Addresses: Home--New Orleans, LA. Record company--Columbia Records, 550 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022-3211.

Ellis Marsalis is known as both an accomplished, original jazz pianist and a jazz instructor who has helped shape some of the genre's most important new musicians. A figurehead of the jazz music revival in New Orleans in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Marsalis has enjoyed a career spanning almost four decades. After years of success playing in New Orleans clubs, Marsalis won nationwide recognition in the 1980s and 1990s when appreciation for his teaching skills led to numerous recordings.

In 1994 Marsalis released Whistle Stop, most of whose compositions date from the 1960s; several were written by the late drummer James Black. Although Larry Birnbaum of Down Beat praised Marsalis's performance, he felt the pianist was overshadowed by his sidemen: "The subtle artistry of his elegant phrasing and refined touch are best appreciated on the closing ballad ... where he plays unaccompanied." Marsalis, who has said he intends to compose for larger ensembles and to explore longer musical forms in the future, told Kalamu ya Salaam that "[Whistle Stop] with its emphasis on the small ensemble represents the pinnacle of my work in that format."