Wynton Marsalis, the virtuoso trumpeter and composer, views jazz as a genre that highly values originality and individuality, extending beyond the music to personal style, noting, "When people dress well, they play well." Marsalis, who was 51 at the time of the interview and wore a Brooks Brothers gray pinstripe three-piece suit, is the artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) since co-founding it in 1987 and was recently named managing director. Brooks Brothers serves as the official clothier for JALC. He also believes that listening is crucial in jazz, as musicians are "making it up as they go." Marsalis observes that he enjoys doing "two opposite things at once," such as achieving the largest sound at the softest volume.
Marsalis, a New Orleans native, is dedicated to preserving all facets of jazz, including its style, history, and culture. To commemorate JALC's 25th anniversary, he worked on "In the Spirit of Swing," a book chronicling the institution's history. In February of that year, he was scheduled to perform "Blood on the Fields" with the JALC Orchestra, a Pulitzer Prize-winning composition that had not been performed in its entirety for 18 years. Despite his numerous accomplishments, Marsalis humbly asserts that much of his work involves observing and learning from other musicians.
Marsalis has also drawn parallels between jazz and American democracy. He states that like jazz, U.S. democracy is always "in swing," describing "swing" as "the constant reconciliation of opposites" and "a constant attempt to find the balance of opposing forces." He further explains that the momentum of politics, similar to jazz, is subjective, meaning its perceived success or failure depends on individual perspectives. This perspective was shared during a Fortune Global Forum conference, where he discussed the state of America post-election.
