MAY 24 | Wynton Marsalis
May 24, 2025
Paramount Theatre, Oakland
Trumpeter, composer, and 2011 NEA Jazz Master Wynton Marsalis performs his live score to accompany a screening of director Dan Pritzker's 2010 silent Louis Armstrong biographical film LOUIS, joined by classical pianist Cecile Licad and an all-star 11-piece jazz ensemble conducted by Andy Faber with the captivating story-telling and classic visuals captured in Dan Pritzker’s LOUIS to provide a (not so) silent film experience at the Bay Area’s Art Deco movie palace, the Oakland Paramount.
A modern reimagining of early silent film in the Chaplin tradition, LOUIS follows a six-year-old Louis Armstrong (Anthony Coleman) and his adventures on the streets of New Orleans in 1907 as he dreams of being a musician and navigates the seamier side of life in the Big Easy. Directed by Dan Pritzker (Bolden) and gorgeously photographed in sepia tones by the legendary cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond (The Deer Hunter, Deliverance, Close Encounters of the Third Kind), LOUIS celebrates the deep musical heritage of New Orleans, featuring an original score by Wynton Marsalis.
“Wynton was such a perfect and obvious choice when thinking about the music for the film that I didn’t really think he’d do it,” says Pritzker.
“The idea of writing music to a silent film telling the tale of a young Louis Armstrong really appealed to me,” says Marsalis. “The score moves between my music and the music of Louis Moreau Gottschalk.”
From his New Orleans beginnings and fiery debut with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers to his string of acclaimed albums and current role as Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, Marsalis has become an iconic figure in the art form. He’s amassed nine GRAMMYs and the Pulitzer Prize for Music, the first ever awarded to a jazz artist, and received the SFJAZZ Lifetime Achievement Award at SFJAZZ Gala 2022.
Hailed as "a pianist's pianist" by The New Yorker, Cecile Licad has captivated audiences everywhere with her daring musical instinct, mesmerizing stage presence, and artistry that encompasses a wide range of musical styles and influences. Critics have praised her interpretive depth and impeccable technique. The Manila-born virtuoso classical pianist made her debut at age seven as soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra of the Philippines, and at 20 was one of the youngest musicians to receive the prestigious Leventritt Gold Medal.
2011 NEA Jazz Master Wynton Marsalis performs his live score to accompany a screening of director Dan Pritzker's 2010 silent Louis Armstrong biographical film Louis, joined by classical piano virtuoso Cecile Licad and an all-star 11-piece jazz ensemble conducted by Andy Faber.
As a composer, Mr. Marsalis has taken up both challenges, of precise tone poetry and of capturing a broader American experience.
the new york times
As a composer, Mr. Marsalis has taken up both challenges, of precise tone poetry and of capturing a broader American experience.
the new york times
Personnel
Wynton Marsalis trumpet
Cecile Licad piano
Andy Faber conductor
11-Piece Orchestra TBA
The most accomplished and acclaimed jazz musician of his generation
JazzTimes on Louis Armstrong
Personnel
Wynton Marsalis trumpet
Cecile Licad piano
Andy Faber conductor
11-Piece Orchestra TBA
The most accomplished and acclaimed jazz musician of his generation
JazzTimes on Louis Armstrong
Watch & Listen
Louis Armstrong
Stardust
Louis Armstrong
Timelessness
Louis Armstrong
Stardust
Louis Armstrong
Timelessness
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