Jazdoc, very well said.
When Mr. Marsalis first gained the music world's attention back in 1980 jazz from a commercial perspective was dead. No one was getting label contracts and established artists were still in their funk/fusion stages. Whether it was foisted upon him or he jumped and grabbed it, Marsalis became the face and voice of jazz to the wider population. For more than a generation he's carried that burden quite well. He ain't perfect, but he's real, real good.
When Mr. Marsalis first gained the music world's attention back in 1980 jazz from a commercial perspective was dead. No one was getting label contracts and established artists were still in their funk/fusion stages. Whether it was foisted upon him or he jumped and grabbed it, Marsalis became the face and voice of jazz to the wider population. For more than a generation he's carried that burden quite well. He ain't perfect, but he's real, real good.