As if witnessing a musical conversation between master and student, all eyes fixated on Branford Marsalis in awe as the celebrated jazz musician led the UT jazz students in a saxophone solo.

The Grammy award-winning visiting artist accompanied all three of UT’s jazz bands in a special performance at Bates Recital Hall on Friday. Barely scratching the surface of his long and illustrious career in jazz, he has composed for Broadway and film, led bands and received numerous accolades honoring his talent and contributions to jazz.

“I’m not a pat-yourself-on-the-back kind of person. There’s always more things to learn and more things to do,” Marsalis said. “I’m appreciative of all the opportunities that I’ve had to develop and to grow and all the great musicians that I’ve worked with.”

A seasoned jazz educator, Marsalis first met Diego Rivera, current UT Director of Jazz Studies, while studying with him at Michigan State University in 1996. Marsalis said he teaches students to explore questions they have while going through life.

“I’m always trying to gear young people to prepare themselves in a way so that when the light switch does go on, they’re prepared for it,” Marsalis said.

Now a longtime friend of Marsalis, Rivera said he has fully embraced the hierarchy of jazz and how he and Marsalis will always be at different levels.

“I didn’t understand his teaching until much later, which is why I think we kept in touch for so long,” Rivera said.

As a visiting artist, Marsalis also hosted master classes, which Brady Goar, mechanical engineering junior and saxophonist in the Jazz Ensemble, said challenged his ideas of jazz.

“(Marsalis is) very tough love. He’s gonna tell you (like) it is,” Goar said. “A lot of teachers aren’t willing to say if something is bad.”

Goar said he could sense nervousness among the band when sharing the stage with such a respected artist, but that Marsalis expertly controlled the concert’s liveliness. 

“One thing that’s special about (Marsalis) — he knows how to ramp up the energy of a solo,” Goar said. “His playing is very focused on … (serving) the ensemble and not (serving) himself.”

For the first time in ten years, UT Jazz has three full Big Bands: the UT Jazz Orchestra, UT Jazz Ensemble and UT Jazz Band. Goar said the jazz program improved since Rivera came onto the scene, as his connections and leadership introduced otherwise nonexistent opportunities.

“UT isn’t accustomed to having artists like (Marsalis) coming in,” Goar said. “The trajectory of the program is heading in a good direction. Having someone like him come in is a testament to that.”