Former Artist-in-Residence Branford Marsalis Composes Music for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE -- Before signing on to compose music for the Netflix film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” composer, arranger and saxophonist Branford Marsalis hadn’t worked with 1920s music. But the former San Francisco State professor jumped at the opportunity to expand his vast musical horizons and honor the legacy of the film’s subject, Gertrude “Ma” Rainey. Known as “The Mother of the Blues,” Rainey was one of the first blues superstars. The soundtrack is a combination of the film’s original score, along with arrangements of Ma Rainey classics and other jazz and blues standards.