The Democracy! Suite
Wynton Marsalis and Eric Jackson joined FirstWorks for a conversation about the power of music to affect social change. Livestreamed on January 14, 2021.
Jazz musician, trumpeter, composer, bandleader, advocate for the arts, and educator Wynton Marsalis has helped propel jazz to the forefront of American culture. In April 1997 he became the first jazz artist to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for his work “Blood on the Fields,” which was commissioned by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Since 2012, he has served as Managing and Artistic Director of the world-renowned arts organization.
Recently performed by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra Septet as the finale for FirstWorks Urban Carnevale, The Democracy! Suite was written by Marsalis amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. A response to the political, social, and economic struggles facing our nation, the Suite’s unique repertoire celebrates jazz’s embodiment of freedom and democracy and aims to entertain, inspire, and uplift audiences with the full vigor, vision, and depth of America’s music.
For more information on The Democracy! Suite, now available as a full length audio recording, visit https://wyntonmarsalis.org/discography/title/the-democracy-suite


