Like him or not, trumpeter Wynton Marsalis remains one of the most recognized and respected ambassadors of American jazz over the past twenty years. Marsalis' take on the art form is seen as overtly puritanical by some critics, but there's no denying his influence across the genre and beyond. Though he's no longer the "young lion" of yore (circa his 1980 debut with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers), Marsalis' youthful zeal has matured into a dedicated furthering and defending of America's musical education. With multiple Grammys, the Pulitzer-winning oratorio Blood on the Fields and a prominent role in Ken Burns' landmark documentary Jazz already under his belt, Marsalis' work is still far from over.
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