Branford returns home to Louisiana

The Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra invites Branford to perform two concerts with them, presenting works by Williams and Villa Lobos. While in town, Branford visits LSU to present a master class and joins the LSU jazz faculty for a concert.

Upward Spiral is released

On June 10, 2016, the Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling releases their debut collaboration, Upward Spiral. For this album, the band members all contributed new arrangements to perform with this special line-up which looks beyond the Great American Songbook. Although following the format of a standard jazz quartet with vocals, the collaboration between jazz’s most intense band and one of jazz’s foremost singers proves to be anything but standard.

Branford Marsalis Quartet with special guest Kurt Elling tours

In support of their new album, Upward Spiral, the group kicks off a tour in Europe to rave reviews. The band makes stops in Lviv, Ukraine, Copenhagen, Denmark, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Milan, Italy, Molde, Norway, and San Sebastien, Spain among others.

Branford returns to Asia to perform with the Malaysian Philhamonic Orchestra

Continuing his classical work in the spring of 2016, Branford heads to Kuala Lumpur to perform two concerts with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra at the Petronas Twin Towers. His repertoire again included Milhaud's Scaramouche as well as Williams' Escapades and Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibition.

Branford travels to Hong Kong to perform classically

In his debut collaboration with the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong, Branford performs the Glazunov Concerto as well as Milhaud's Scaramouche. During his stay in Hong Kong, Branford was able to work with young musicians in a master class setting.

BMQ travels to Nairobi, Kenya to perform

Branford and the quartet perform for the first time in Nairobi at the Safaricom Jazz Festival in February 2016. In addition to their concert, they had the opportunity to present a master class to local musicians and visit the Ghetto Classics Music Development Project, a community program that involves over 650 children in Korogocho where music education provides the youth with opportunities to better themselves and their community.

Branford performs solo in Europe

In support of his solo release In My Solitude: Live At Grace Cathedral, Branford embarks on a month-long tour of Germany and Swtizerland. Performing classically with the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich to begin the tour, he then continued on to perform solo in cathedrals and churches throughout Germany and Swtizerland. The tour was interspersed with educational activites at some of the most prominent music iniversities in this region of Europe.