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Ellis Marsalis at Marshall University
Herald, September 23, 2016

HUNTINGTON - Ellis Marsalis' legendary career as a revered jazz pianist spans close to seven decades. A patriarch in the jazz community, Marsalis' career sparked along in New Orleans in 1949, a living relic cut from the era of Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie.

The 81-year-old had just a few words to sum up what he'd like his legacy to be.

"On my tombstone, just: 'He did his best,' " Marsalis said Tuesday night during an interview prior to performing at Marshall University's Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall as part of his three-day residency with the university's jazz studies program. Continue...