Branford Marsalis (born August 26, 1960) is an American jazz saxophonist.

He began his professional career in the early 1980s playing with Art Blakey's big band, Clark Terry, and Blakey's Jazz Messengers. From 1982 to 1985 he played with his brother Wynton Marsalis's group, then left to play in Sting's backup band. He also toured with Miles Davis in one of the latter's last bands. In 1986 he set up his own group. From 1992 to 1995 he was musical director of the Tonight Show Band. He then set up the Buckshot LeFonque project which intended to combine jazz with rhythm and blues, hip hop, and rock.

He is the oldest of the four Marsalis brothers, who are all jazz musicians, as is their father Ellis Marsalis.

Works:

• Trio Jeepy - an album of standards featuring Milt Hinton (bass) and Jeff Watts (drums)
• Mo' Better Blues - soundtrack to the movie
• I Heard You Twice The First Time - Branford's quartet pairs up with some Jazz and Blues greats (including B.B.King, Rip Tip Johnson) for a romp through the history of African-American music
• Buckshot LeFonque
• Crazy People Music
• The Dark Keys
• Requiem - recorded days before the death of and dedicated to pianist Kenny Kirkland, this album is undeniably one of The Branford Marsalis Quartet's greatest and most immediate works
• Contemporary Jazz
• Footsteps of our Fathers - Branford again revisits the works of past masters, interpreting the tunes from his own angle

Branford also appears as a sideman on:

• Dream of the Blue Turtles - Sting
• Bring on the Night - Sting (live album)
• You Won't Forget Me - Shirley Horn. Branford appears on the track "It Had to be You"