1980年，当时所谓正统爵士乐奄奄一息，融合爵士日趋流行媚俗，前卫实验派人士在美国市场极小，只能到欧洲讨生活，突然之间，美国爵士乐界有个大新闻，一个身怀绝艺的茱莉亚音乐学院材生，长得英俊挺拔的黑人青年小号手，投入了爵士乐圈子，加入亚特布雷奇领导的爵士信差乐团，他的名字，叫作温顿马沙利斯，几乎从一开始，温顿就获得一面倒的热烈掌声，新旧各派爵士乐迷都受他的音乐吸引，主流唱片公司与他签约，沉寂了好一阵子的爵士信差乐团重新获得注意，爵士乐评论界人人如释重负（因为似乎不必怕爵士乐会寿终正寝，要知道，70年代以来，他们担心了十几年！ ），那段时间，温顿简直是救世主！
 
不但是救世主，也是特级核弹，威力所及，各大唱片公司全都开始寻找爵士新星，出钱出力，深怕丧失了未来的市场占有率，许多年轻人尝试学习爵士乐，潜沉改行的老将富出江湖，浪迹欧洲的爵士艺人又再接到故乡的演奏邀约，十多年来被摇滚乐压得几乎丧失所有市场的爵士乐，终于开始出现复兴的曙光，这样的状况在温顿赢得葛莱美爵士乐奖项之后越演越烈，接着，古典根基深厚的这个年轻人又拿下葛莱美古典奖项，不但左右开弓，而且样样第一，菨时温顿成了新兴的文化偶像，他应邀担任林肯中心爵士音乐总监，登上时代杂志封面，成为美国的风云人物，影响力不仅仅限于爵士音乐圈，在整个音乐界来说也是名列前茅。
 
其实，温顿的古典演奏真是非常厉害，Sony唱片在日本出版过一张名为「Carnival」的温顿古典选集，其中黄蜂飞行、海顿的小号协奏曲等等高难度乐曲，他的演奏技巧真是令人瞠目结舌，二连音、三连音的吹奏游刃有余、行若无事，不知情的人绝对会以为有三个小号手同时演奏！话说回来，高超的古曲乐小号技巧，对他的爵士乐演奏并不见得有帮助，诚然，他的演奏中有许多高难度的「锯齿状」跳跃式旋律线，例如他的名曲「Delfeayo's Dilemma」里面的高低转折既快速又准确清晰，没有几个爵士乐手作得到，但是爵士乐的小号演奏，传统上讲究的是强烈个人风格的音色，泉涌而出的即兴乐句，表达的常是演奏者个人当下的情绪，手法上经常快速使用活塞按键，这些和按照曲谱演奏，要求精确，擅长以唇舌改变音高的古典小号训练很难相辅相成。
 
温顿马沙利斯带动了目前新古典爵士的发展，为纽奥良爵士传统建立跨世纪的承接，他的个人魅力，为爵士乐市场开发出一群新的听众，也在80年代将爵士乐带入美国学术圈子，十多年来，温顿主持了无数场爵士乐师资讲座，以他个人的形象与声望，从基础教育着手来推广爵士乐，在他的努力下，爵士乐演奏家的形象逐渐得与古典音乐家并驾齐驱，慢慢拥有同等的声望与社会地位，就这几点而言，他的确是二十世纪末的爵士英雄之一。
 
by Scott Yanow
The most famous jazz musician since 1980, Wynton Marsalis made a major impact on jazz almost from the start. In the early 80s, it was major news that a young and very talented black musician would choose to make a living playing acoustic jazz rather than fusion, funk, or R&B. Marsalis arrival on the scene started the Young Lions movement and resulted in major labels (most of whom had shown no interest in jazz during the previous decade) suddenly signing and promoting young players. There had been a major shortage of new trumpeters since 1970, but Marsalis sudden prominence inspired an entire new crop of brass players. The music of the mid-60s Miles Davis Quintet had been somewhat overshadowed when it was new, but Marsalis quintet focused on extending the groups legacy and soon other Young Lion units were using Davis late acoustic work as their starting point.
 
During his career, Marsalis has managed to be a controversial figure despite his obvious abilities. His selective knowledge of jazz history (considering post-1965 avant-garde playing to be outside of jazz and 1970s fusion to be barren) is unfortunately influenced by the somewhat eccentric beliefs of Stanley Crouch, and his hiring policies as musical director of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra led to exaggerated charges of ageism and racism from local writers. However, more than balancing all of this out is Marsalis inspiring work with youngsters, many of whom he has introduced to jazz; a few young musicians, such as Roy Hargrove, have been directly helped by Marsalis.
 
Marsalis trumpet playing has been both overcriticized and (at least early on) overpraised. When he first arrived on the scene with the Jazz Messengers, his original inspiration was Freddie Hubbard. However, by the time he began leading his own group, Marsalis often sounded very close to Miles Davis (particularly when holding a long tone), although a version of Davis with virtuosic technique. He was so widely praised by the jazz press at the time (due to their relief that the future of jazz finally seemed safe) that there was an inevitable backlash. Marsalis sometimes inaccurate statements about jazz of the 1970s and the avant-garde in general made some observers angry, and his rather derivative tone at the time made it seem as if there was always going to have to be an asterisk by his name when evaluating his talents. Some listeners formed permanent impressions of Marsalis as a Miles Davis imitator, but they failed to take into account that he was still improving and developing. With the 1990 recording Tune in Tomorrow, Marsalis at last sounded like himself. He had found his own voice by exploring earlier styles of jazz (such as Louis Armstrongs playing), mastering the wah-wah mute, and studying Duke Ellington. From that point on, even when playing a Miles Davis standard, Marsalis has had his own sound and has finally taken his place as one of jazzs greats.
 
The son of pianist Ellis Marsalis, the younger brother of Branford and the older brother of Delfeayo and Jason (the Marsalis clan as a whole can be accurately called The First Family of Jazz), Wynton (who was named after pianist Wynton Kelly) received his first trumpet at age six from Ellis employer, Al Hirt. He studied both classical and jazz and played in local marching bands, funk groups, and classical orchestras. Marsalis played first trumpet in the New Orleans Civic Orchestra while in high school. He went to Juilliard when he was 18 and in 1980 he made his first recordings with the Art Blakey Big Band and joined the Jazz Messengers.
 
By 1981, the young trumpeter was the talk of the jazz world. He toured with Herbie Hancock (a double LP resulted), continued working with Blakey, signed with Columbia, and recorded his first album as a leader. In 1982, Marsalis not only formed his own quintet (featuring brother Branford and soon Kenny Kirkland, Charnett Moffett, and Jeff Tain Watts) but recorded his first classical album; he was immediately ranked as one of the top classical trumpeters of all time. His quintet with Branford lasted until late 1985, although a rift developed between the brothers (fortunately temporary) when Branford finally quit the band to tour with Stings pop group. By that time Wynton was a superstar, winning a countless number of awards and polls.
 
Marsalis next group featured pianist Marcus Roberts, bassist Robert Hurst, and drummer Watts. Over time the group grew to become a four-horn septet with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, altoist Wes Anderson, Todd Williams on tenor, bassist Reginald Veal, drummer Herlin Riley, and (by the early 90s) pianist Eric Reed. Marsalis really developed his writing during this era (being influenced by Duke Ellington) and the septet proved to be a perfect outlet for his arranging. Although Marsalis broke up the band by 1995, many of the musicians still appear in his special projects or with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra.
 
In 1997, Marsalis marathon Blood on the Fields (which was released as a three-CD set) became the first jazz-based work to win a Pulitzer Prize. Standard Time, Vol. 5: The Midnight Blues followed a year later. With the passing of so many jazz giants, Marsalis importance (as a trumpeter, leader, writer, and spokesman for jazz) continued to grow. Standard Time, Vol. 4: Marsalis Plays Monk followed in 1999 to coincide with the popular PBS special. Then, as if eight proper recordings in 1999 werent enough, Columbia and Marsalis released an amazingly affordable seven-disc set entitled Live at the Village Vanguard. Mid-2000 saw the release of Marciac Suite and Goin Down Home. Two years later, Marsalis celebrated the blues on All Rise. Next up was his first album for Blue Note, The Magic Hour, an album of original material released early in 2004. Later that year, the label released Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson, Marsalis soundtrack to a Ken Burns documentary. Marsalis second studio effort for Blue Note, the politically and socially aware From the Plantation to the Penitentiary, followed in 2007.