In addition to its leader and artistic director, Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra features three other trumpeters who give him a run for his money on a nightly basis. They are:
Ryan Kisor, lead trumpet: Now 34, Kisor was just 17 when he edged out fellow JALC member Marcus Printup and Nicholas Payton to win the 1991 Thelonious Monk Institute International Trumpet Competition. He has since performed on dozens of albums with such luminaries as Marsalis, Horace Silver, Jim Hall, Gerry Mulligan, Steve Swallow and Pat Metheny.
Number of solo albums: 14.
Marsalis: “Ryan is a great soloist. And when we play baseball, he does what it takes to win.”
Sean Jones, second trumpet: At 30, Jones divides his time between a solo career, the JALC Orchestra and being a professor at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. His recording credits range from Nancy Wilson and Steve Turre to Charles Fambrough and the Gerald Wilson Orchestra.
Number of solo albums: 4.
Marsalis: “Sean has been playing with us the shortest time, but we love him. He's like our little brother – he's younger than us, but he's bigger than us! He's a phenomenal musician and has such a beautiful attitude. And, on a basketball court, he will just wear you down.”
Marcus Printup, third trumpet: Soon to turn 40, Printup was a protegé of vocal star Betty Carter and pianist Marcus Roberts. He has performed on dozens of albums by other artists, including Marsalis, Cyrus Chestnut, Bob Belden and singers Dianne Reeves, Dianne Schuur and Madeleine Peyroux.
Number of solo albums: 6.
Marsalis: “Marcus just said the other day, ''Man, we've been playing together for 14 to 15 years.' So, we're very tight and were close, in a mature way. He's a fine player and we have a lot of respect for each other. And he has a lot of speed on a baseball field.”
