ellis marsalis, the jazz pianist and patrrch of a musical fami, has died.lis passed away after being hospitalized with coronavirus symptoms. >> marsalis was the father of a musical family known all over the world for its contributions to jazz. i knew him as a spectator and appreciator of his music. but we also knew what ellis had done because of the generation of musicians who were his students. harry connick is one, his sons. >> he had a battle with cancer. on the one hand we we expecting that his time was soon, but covid kind of sped things up. he was buried april 4, and we had about ten people there. >> i can only imagine what it would've looked like prior to the pandemic. there would have been a second line and a jazz procession. >> the ritual of actually celebrating a life, especially a life like that, is what we do here. and we couldn't. ♪ ♪ so many laid to rest without our tears or the tolling of the bell, no kaddish as in elie wiesel's "night." last night, ellis marsalis went away, piano keys tug at their locks and rend their robes, and each in thei