Wynton Marsalis On Ed Bradley

Full Transcript Of Steve Kroft's Interview

(CBS) 

STEVE KROFT: Tell me about Ed and Patricia.

WYNTON MARSALIS: You would always see him with her. He would always be out with her. He understood kind of the importance of that male-female relationship. They were like, you know, together. It was always beautiful to see. She was always so patient and cool. He relied on her a lot. I always liked to see them converse. I always liked when she would talk to him. I would notice how he would listen. I always think of her when I think of him.

STEVE KROFT: What have we lost, do you think?

WYNTON MARSALIS: Oh, man. We have lost so much information, and courage, and the dignity and integrity, and the type of moral leadership that's so sadly lacking out here today. Above all, we've lost a profound connection to culture and a love for the dignity of human beings, and a man of such honesty and beauty.

With Ed, he wouldn't be too much as far as crying over him, you know? Me and him actually have talked about that. He loved that funeral, they play a little something sad. Give me a tambourine.

STEVE KROFT: Tell me about that. Why do you think he liked New Orleans?

WYNTON MARSALIS: New Orleans aligned with his sensibility. You know, New Orleans is the type of city that's wild. It's elegant. It's deeply soulful. It's not stiff at all. It's relaxed. It's urgent. The home of the blues. He loved the blues. It lets you be yourself. I think that's what made him so great as a person. For all of his greatness, his individual achievements, all of his hard work ethics, he would happily let you be you.

STEVE KROFT: Are there any stories you can tell?

WYNTON MARSALIS: The funniest stories to me are the ones where he would get mad. We did a concert one time that he didn't like. It was a Louis Armstrong concert. So he didn't say nothing. He calls me up later. He says, “Hey, man, this is Ed.” I said, “Yes, sir.” He said, “Are y'all all right up there?” I said, “What you mean?” He said, “I went to that concert. What are y'all doing?” I said, “Man, we trying to play the music.” He said, “Well, I'm not paying my money for y'all to try to play the music. Next time you go out there, play the music.” So, you know, it was all those kind of stories, but it's delivered with love. You know, he'd say, you dig? You know what I mean?

STEVE KROFT: When you think about him, is there one image that will stay with you? A snapshot?

WYNTON MARSALIS: Man, the biggest snapshot I had with him is how he would look at you with those two eyes. You never knew like where to look, you see? Because he would smile after a point was made. That Ed Bradley smile. That laugh, the smile.