Ellis Marsalis dead from corona virus


From The Washington Post a few minutes ago:

Ellis Marsalis, a jazz pianist and the patriarch of a prominent New Orleans musical family, died Wednesday after being hospitalized with symptoms of covid-19.

Marsalis, 85, had been tested for the coronavirus and results were pending, according to Nola.com. He was considered a mainstay in the city’s jazz scene for decades and taught many future musical stars, including his four sons, Branford, Wynton, Delfeayo and Jason.

New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell (D) called him a “legend.”

“He was the prototype of what we mean when we talk about New Orleans jazz,” she said on Twitter, adding, “words aren’t sufficient to describe the art, the joy & the wonder he showed the world.”

kacomess

In any key

Or register

It makes no sense

The discordant loss

Of the great

Ellis Marsalis

Teacher of the free

Grace upon the ivory

The collective dead

utter a long trailing wail

Off the lowered soundboard

Of a makeshift coffin


I fear there are going to be a lot more names added to the list of great musicians taken from us before this is all over.
Very sad.