Branford Marsalis

Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.

Early life

Marsalis was born in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, the son of Dolores (née Ferdinand), a jazz singer and substitute teacher, and Ellis Louis Marsalis, Jr., a pianist and music professor. His brothers Jason Marsalis, Wynton Marsalis, Ellis Marsalis III, and Delfeayo Marsalis, and father Ellis are also jazz musicians.

Career

Musical beginnings: 1980–85

In the summer of 1980, while still a Berklee College of Music student, Marsalis toured Europe playing alto and baritone saxophone in a large ensemble led by drummer Art Blakey. Other big band experiences with Lionel Hampton and Clark Terry followed over the next year, and by the end of 1981 Marsalis, on alto saxophone, had joined his brother Wynton in Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Other performances with his brother, including a 1981 Japanese tour with Herbie Hancock, led to the formation of his brother Wynton’s first quintet, where Marsalis shifted his emphasis to soprano and tenor saxophones. He continued to work with Wynton until 1985, a period that also saw the release of his own first recording, Scenes in the City, as well as guest appearances with other artists including Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie.

Cheek to Cheek

"Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1935, for the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers movie Top Hat (1935). In the movie, Astaire sings the song to Rogers as they dance. The song was nominated for the Best Song Academy Award for 1936, which it lost to "Lullaby of Broadway". Astaire's recording of the song in 1935 spent five weeks at #1 on Your Hit Parade and was named the #1 song of 1935. Astaire's 1935 recording with the Leo Reisman Orchestra was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2004, Astaire's version finished at #15 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American cinema.

The song, as sung by Astaire, and separately by Ella Fitzgerald (see her 1956 album Ella and Louis), is featured in the movie The English Patient.

Recorded versions

Cheek to Cheek (album)

Cheek to Cheek is a collaborative album by American singers Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. It was released on September 19, 2014, through Interscope Records and Columbia Records. Bennett and Gaga first met in 2011 at the Robin Hood Foundation gala in New York City. After the two later recorded a rendition of "The Lady Is a Tramp", they began discussing plans for working on a jazz project. Cheek to Cheek consists of jazz standards by popular jazz composers, such as George Gershwin, Cole Porter, Jerome Kern, and Irving Berlin. The album was inspired by Bennett and Gaga's desire to introduce the songs to a younger generation, since they believed that the tracks had universal appeal.

By January 2013, the album was confirmed by both artists and recording started after Gaga recovered from hip surgery. The album was recorded in New York City, where Bennett and Gaga were accompanied by a live band and jazz musicians associated with both artists. Gaga deviated from her previous pop albums, wanting instead to create a jazz record. The release date of the album was delayed multiple times, and the final date was announced by Bennett and Gaga on The Today Show. Full track list and cover art for the album were released shortly thereafter, including the track lists for many alternate editions. The artists promoted Cheek to Cheek through multiple performances in and around New York, a "behind the scenes" program detailing the recording of the album on Home Shopping Network (HSN), and a televised concert titled Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga: Cheek to Cheek Live!, which aired on PBS in October 2014. The album was preceded by the release of two singles; "Anything Goes" and "I Can't Give You Anything but Love". They both reached number one on Billboard's Jazz Digital Songs Chart.

Cheek to Cheek (disambiguation)

"Cheek to Cheek" is a song written by Irving Berlin in 1935.

Cheek to Cheek may also refer to:

Film and TV

Music

Albums