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 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.

BMQ is joined by Kurt Elling for warm-up dates and recording in New Orleans

The Quartet rarely invites other musicians into the folds of their cohesive unit, but in December 2015, they were joined by guest-vocalist Kurt Elling for a weekend’s engagement at New Orleans’ Snug Harbor.  This culminated with three days in the studios of the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music where, energized by the artistic promise of this collaboration, the musicians all contributed new arrangements to record with this special line-up. The result can be heard on their June 2016 release, Upward Spiral.

Branford performs with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra

For the first time, Branford performs the John Adams' Saxophone Concerto with the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Maestro Edwin Outwater. It was presented over two nights, first in Tokyo at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, followed by a concert in Hachioji at Olympus Hall Hachioji.