温顿·马萨利斯，被誉为当今最顶尖的小号大师。1961年诞生于爵士乐的发源地美国新奥尔良一个爵士乐家庭，温顿的父亲和两个哥哥同样都是爵士爵乐家。温顿九次荣获格莱美音乐大奖，也是唯一一位同时赢得占典音乐与爵士音乐唱片大奖的器乐演奏家。1997年，温顿凭借自己创作的宗教史诗音乐剧《田野上的鲜血》，成为首次获得普利策音乐大奖的爵士音乐家。

塞尔温·瑟福·辛德斯，备受赞誉的记者，知名作家。《源泉》杂志前主编，《萨伏依》杂志执行编辑，作品和评论文章见于各种报刊，包括《名利场》、《乡村之声》、Spin、Vibe等。2002年，辛德斯撰写了赢得广泛好评的回忆录《杜撰的枪声》。

In To a Young Jazz Musician, the renowned jazz musician and Pulitzer Prize—winning composer Wynton Marsalis gives us an invaluable guide to making good music–and to leading a good life.

Writing from the road “between the bus ride, the sound check, and the gig,”

Marsalis passes on wisdom gained from experience, addressed to a young musician coming up–and to any of us at any stage of life. He writes that having humility is a way to continue to grow, to listen, and to learn; that patience is necessary for developing both technical proficiency and your own art rather than an imitation of someone else’s; and that rules are indispensable because “freedom lives in structure.”

He offers lessons learned from his years as a performer and from his great forebears Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and others; he explores the art of swing; he discusses why it is important to run toward your issues, not away; and he talks about what to do when your integrity runs up against the lack thereof in others and in our culture. He poetically expresses our need for healers: “All of it tracks back to how you heal your culture, one patient at a time, beginning with yourself.”

This is a unique book, in which a great artist offers his personal thoughts, both on jazz and on how to live a better, more original, productive, and meaningful life. To a Young Jazz Musician is sure to be treasured by readers young and old, musicians, lovers of music, and anyone interested in being mentored by one of America’s most influential, generous, and talented artists.