Rest easy, children, Wynton Marsalis has found a home. Jazz’s most-visible musician just inked a deal with Blue Note Records. The trumpeter had been label-less the past few months, as Columbia, Marsalis’ label since 1983, decided not to renew his contract. Funny enough, it was Blue Note president Bruce Lundvall who originally signed Marsalis to Columbia-Lundvall was Columbia’s general manager.
No label head really needs to give a reason for signing a heavyweight like Marsalis, but Lundvall made a statement anyway, saying “I believe that Wynton is on the cusp of an innovative new creative period musically. Blue Note will share a pivotal contributing role in the next phase of his already astounding career.”
Marsalis plans to enter the studio this summer to begin work on his Blue Note leader debut.
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