Beyond the Score - Wynton Marsalis' Musical Legacy Visualized by Emanuele Pizzuti

Beyond The Score is a book celebrating Wynton Marsalis’s 40-year career in jazz. This project marked the first collaboration between me and Martina, and was commissioned by one of his close associates, who entrusted us with transforming the extensive data from www.wyntonmarsalis.org into a visually compelling narrative.

The main challenge was handling and organizing a vast amount of information, making it accessible to readers unfamiliar with Marsalis’s life and career. Our goal was to visually communicate his musical journey from the very beginning.

To start, Martina—proficient in Python—managed data cleaning and structured the information into usable tables. This process clarified the nature of the data and shaped the potential narrative we could construct. From there, we worked together on data visualization to uncover meaningful insights. My primary role focused on the artistic direction and overall layout of the book.

In this book Wynton Marsalis’s story is told through data visualization, moving beyond a traditional linear narrative. Instead, Beyond The Score serves as an interactive guide, encouraging readers to explore at their own pace.

The project is divided into three main sections, each distinguished by a unique color, focusing on Marsalis’s Biography, Discography, and Performances.

Biography traces his journey from his early years in New Orleans to his rise as a jazz icon.
Discography, enriched with visual timelines, highlights his prolific recording career.
Performances maps his global tours, offering a striking view of his influence on the world stage.