By JON WOODHOUSE

For The Maui News

Acclaimed as one of the leading trombonists, composers and producers in jazz, Delfeayo Marsalis returns to our island to headline shows at Nalu’s South Shore Grill and the Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery, after performing at the 11th annual Big Island Jazz & Blues Festival.

A younger brother of Branford and Wynton of the legendary Marsalis family, Delfeayo’s credits include years of touring with such legends as Art Blakey, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, Max Roach and Elvin Jones.

“I always love coming to Hawaii,” says Marsalis. “It’s always a good time. I try to bring a lot of variety. What I play will range from the New Orleans brass band tradition to the swing tradition, some bebop, and then, of course, my favorite is what would be called modern jazz. I often look at our performances like it’s almost a 10-course meal. We’re trying to serve it up with enough variety, so at the end of the night everybody is like, man, that was a feast.”

Focused on creating music that makes you feel good, it’s hard to sit still listening to his exuberant latest album “Uptown on Mardi Gras Day,” with the Uptown Jazz Orchestra. DownBeat hailed it as “supremely funky,” while Glide Magazine praised it as “a set of joyous tunes celebrating Mardi Gras and New Orleans.”

“Jazz is the greatest popular form of music that America has created,” he notes. “Our responsibility now is to keep those important ingredients, but also keep up with the times. So many people have come and said, ‘oh, I didn’t know that jazz could be this much fun.’ One guy said to me, ‘you have a feel good band.’ And I’m like, what other kind of band could you have? When we’re really being effective, we’re able to cover all the ground, so people are really having a good time.”

Born in New Orleans in 1965, Marsalis was destined for a life in music. As a young child, he remembers lying under the family piano while his father, Ellis Marsalis, played. With Wynton focused on trumpet and Branford on sax, Delfeayo turned to the trombone.

“One plays sax, one plays trumpet, they needed a trombone,” he says, laughing. “I think the trombone kind of suits my personality being a middle child. The trombone generally keeps everything together and that’s been my role.”

The spirit of New Orleans has long infused his music. “New Orleans music represents the greatest aspects of the ideals of this country in musical terms,” he says. “It’s like New Orleans is the true melting pot. New Orleans, in a lot of ways, is the last original city in America. I really think that it’s the infusion of not only the African traditions, but all of the immigrants who were able to come together and work together and bring the best of themselves. The African traditions are really stronger here than anywhere else in America. When you go to other Confederate states, there’s that tension, but not the coolness. We have both the tension and the coolness. The South can be rough, but I would say that New Orleans has always led the way, and that’s kind of what we have to continue to do now.”

Among his recordings, in 2016, Marsalis released “Make America Great Again!,” which was definitely not a Donald Trump endorsement. With narration by actor Wendell Pierce, a pivotal line on the title tune described the good old days as a myth. Another vocal track paid tribute to Nelson Mandela.

“It was an important statement for the time,” he says. “The song, which features Wendell Pierce’s brilliant performance, is about mostly a black man, but it could be a man who is American trying to live up to the ideals that you always hear about what does make America great again. And he has to face people who are hoisting

Confederate flags who have no real respect for what America actually is, but want to turn America into what they want it to be, which I think is what we see happening and what we’re about to really see happen to great effect.”

And thus, in tough times, musicians can play a role in uplifting us. “I think musicians have to have the responsibility of remaining upbeat, especially the New Orleans musicians. People need to be uplifted. When people come to New Orleans, they want uplifting music. That’s the big thing for me understanding the importance of the music being uplifting. I’m trying to do what I can.”

For his Maui shows, Marsalis will perform with the Jazz Alley Trio featuring Mark Johnstone, David Graber and Paul Marchetti. “I love those guys,” he says. “We’ll have some good times.”

Delfeayo Marsalis will headline Maui Jazz & Blues Festival shows on July 16 at Nalu’s South Shore Grill from 6 to 9 p.m. Tarvin Makia will open. For reservations call 808-891-8650. He will also perform on July 17 at the Ocean Organic Farm & Distillery from 5:15 to 7:15 p.m., with Levi Huffman opening. Call for reservations 808-877-0009. The Big Island Jazz & Blues Festival at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel opens on July 13.