Marshall Gilkes is an American jazz trombonist and composer.
Background
Marshall Gilkes was born in Camp Springs, Maryland to a musical family. His mother was a classical vocalist and pianist and his father was a conductor of the Air Force Academy Band. Due to his father"s military profession, Gilkes had a rather itinerant upbringing in Washington, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Alabama, Illinois, and Colorado.
Education
He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Juilliard School.
Career
Gilkes received his early musical training at the Interlochen Arts Academy, University of Northern Colorado, and William Patterson University. In 2003, Marshall Gilkes was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. Gilkes currently plays in the Maria Schneider Orchestra and David Berger"s Sultans of Swing.
His performance experience encompasses a wide range of musical styles.
He has performed with the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Stanley Turrentine, and Benny Golson. In the Latin music community, he has performed with Machito, Giovanni Hidalgo, Chico O’Farrell, Tito Nieves, Big 3 Palladium Orchestra, Raulin Rosendo, Ray Sepulveda, Eddie Santiago, José Alberto, and Iroko Louisiana Banda.
Additionally, he played in the 2000-2001 National and Japanese tours of the Broadway show Swing!. Gilkes has toured extensively throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America, and South America.
Previous performance engagements include the Umbria Jazz Festival, Vienna Jazz Festival, Victor Company of Japan Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival, Panama Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, Tokyo"s Orchard Hall, and the Moscow Conservatory.
In March 2008, Gilkes was invited to perform with the jazz drummer Billy Cobham and the Adelaide Philharmonic at the Adelaide Bank Festival of Arts in Australia. He was a guest performer at the International Trombone Festival May 28–31, 2008 in Salt Lake City, Utah. With the exception of one track, Marshall Gilkes composed all new original material for his 2004 record, "Edenderry." The album received excellent reviews from, among others, Jazz Times, All About Jazz, and the Trombone Journal.
In February 2015, Marshall Gilkes released his fourth album Köln as leader and his first fronting a big band.
Köln received two 2016 Grammy nominations for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and Best Instrumental Composition.
Membership
He is also a member of the internationally acclaimed Edmar Castañeda Trio. In 2010, Marshall Gilkes became a full-time member of the Grammy Award-winning WDR Big Band, after a grueling audition process. This album is the culmination of his time as a member of the WDR Big Band.