Interview with Jazz Pianist Brian Marsalla: Crafting Musical Worlds with Heart and Imagination

A Pianist's Journey Through Jazz Landscapes

Brian Marsella is a pianist and composer whose work defies easy categorization. Whether leading his genre-blurring trio with bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Kenny Wollesen, or collaborating with avant-garde luminary John Zorn, Marsella brings a rare blend of technical brilliance and emotional depth to every performance.

Born in Philadelphia and based in New York since 1998, Marsella has carved out a unique space in the jazz and experimental music scenes. His projects span a broad creative spectrum, from the expansive, cinematic soundscapes of iMAGiNARiUM to the Brazilian-inspired rhythms and festive spirit of Gatos do Sul. He leads The Modulators, a group inflected with surf-rock energy and retro charm, and is part of the poetic, percussive duo Archipelago X with vibraphonist Sae Hashimoto. His trio, featuring Dunn and Wollesen, has become a dynamic force on the contemporary jazz scene, praised for its adventurous interplay and emotional immediacy.

A prolific contributor to John Zorn’s body of work, Marsella has performed on more than 25 albums released on Zorn’s Tzadik label. These include Buer: Book of Angels Volume 31, Meditations on the Tarot, and The Hierophant, where his interpretive powers and imaginative range shine through. He is also a key member of Zorn's New Masada Quartet, a group celebrated for reimagining the Masada songbook with intensity, clarity, and freedom.

In this interview, conducted in Skopje during the International Jazz Day celebrations, Marsella speaks about his musical journey, his intuitive approach to collaboration, and the mentors who shaped him—especially Zorn and Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista. He reflects on his creative process, how his Italian and Jewish heritage subtly informs his musical voice, and what it means to play with honesty and intention in a world of constant noise.

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Today is International Jazz Day, a moment to celebrate the spirit of the music. As someone who embodies multiple roles in jazz—as a composer, bandleader, and collaborator—how do you personally define jazz, or how would you describe what it means to you?

Brian Marsella: Well, I think for me, if you think of jazz as a genre or a title, that's not very useful. I feel like those names always come after people create music. You know, for me, my music is just a mix—an amalgam—of all the people and musical experiences I've had. And because I’ve been playing music my whole life, it's taken me to so many different places.

And I love all kinds of music. Fortunately, I've been blessed to meet people who are masters of so many different styles and was able to learn so much from them. I guess the best way to define what jazz is to me is actually the same as any music.

Jazz really is just the ultimate mix of what happens with all the different things you embrace—you ingest, digest—and then jazz is the excretion of that, I guess, in a way. But so many people have so many different thoughts about it.

I don’t think too much about definitions. I just think about the music itself and creating the music I want to create.

Trio of Doom Photo by Tony Kitanovski