Ellis Marsalis

April is Jazz Appreciation Month, but in 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic that cost the jazz community many elders and working musicians, the phrase "appreciation" took a darker cast.

The patriarch of the famous musical Marsalis family, Ellis Marsalis was not only a performer but a teacher, a mentor and a coach.

Jazz pianist and educator Ellis Marsalis has died at the age of 85, according to tweets from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

The best-known father figure in jazz has famous musical sons. But the Marsalis clan is even more extensive, as you can see when students reflect on his influence.