This is true, born and raised in New Orleans, Wynton Marsalis, at the age of 35, has already changed the world of Jazz once and, by popular belief, he has all the qualifications to change it for a couple more. With seven Grammy awards under his belt (he's the first person to win two Grammies in two different categories at the same time, classical and jazz) Wynton Marsalis plays jazz with the same ease he plays classical music. Blame it on his music knowledge and music studies --he also teaches at universities and he is the recipient of the Julian Award of Music-- along with his extraordinary trumpet skills, Wynton Marsalis stands in the front line of the new generation of Jazz musicians. Himself and his bands (from quartet to octet and conducting the Lincoln Jazz orchestra), usually comprised of young and talented black and white musicians, can also be considered as soldiers of fortune: they're restless and their tour-schedules are intense. Since 1979, when he joined the Art Blakey Jazz Messengers, he has been non-stop around the world numerous times. Marsalis and his musicians play music, they spread the message of Jazz and they promote the spirit of an American music and culture that originates from New Orleans and has conquered the world for the past 100 years.

I visited Wynton Marsalis at his room at the 48th floor of Sheraton, close to the corner of Bourbon Street and Canal, big party area for the tourists. It was Friday night, close to midnight. The view was majestic, and Wynton Marsalis was working with five members of his band...they were rehearsing with the passion and discipline they always do. I sometimes joke at him that if he had to choose between a woman (because he's such a big flirt and he makes effort to look good and act good) and the trumpet, he'd choose the second. I said that again, and everybody laughed, except him. You can easily see it in his face and actions that when he works, and he works most of the time, music is the only thing that matters. In the spacious room there was everybody from his octet band (trumpet+alto sax+tenor sax+ trompone+bass+piano+drums+vibes) and all of them were deep in a rehearsal mood. Some fast-food laid on the piano, but I myself was lost somewhere in between the view and the music.

Another important issue is that there was a lot of young spirit in the room. The younger musician runs 19 and the oldest is Wynton himself but everybody was too much into what was going on. This is what happens if you play with Wynton, you must put all of yourself into what you do, music must become the major part of your life and attitude. You must perform, study, and practice music all the time because that why you are here for. It came as no surprise that we barely noticed George Benson (he was staying next door) walking into the room to listen to the rehearsal. Myself, I was digging for one more time the liner notes of Coltrane's "A Love Supreme" that I found laying on the table...

It was past midnight when it all came to an end, and Wynton had to leave to watch a good show, somewhere, in a bar at the streets of New Orleans. See, Wynton is from New Orleans and he was so happy to be back home. His eyes couldn't lie. His smile, this distinctive Marsalis-family smile, was all over his face and there was no doubt that his Saturday show would be one of the highlights of the festival. Indeed, the day after, there were more than three thousand Jazz fans watching him and his octet performing a full version of John Coltrane collosus, "A Love Supreme", one of the most spiritual albums ever. The performance was passionate and brought everybody thirty years behind. The crowd couldn't stop it but follow. When all personnel of the octet started singing the main theme ''...a love supreme, a love supreme...'' the tend suddenly turned into a church, the music became the chant. I'm sure Coltrane's spirit was somewhere among us, happy to see his music being as powerful and elevating as it has always been.