Marshall Gilkes was born September 30th, 1978 in Camp Springs, Maryland. Marshall s father was a musician in the Air Force, which meant growing up in different parts of the country including Washington D.C., New Hampshire, New Jersey, Alabama, Illinois, and Colorado. He currently calls Brooklyn, New York home.

He is a graduate of The Juilliard School as well as Interlochen Arts Academy. His teachers include Joe Alessi, Conrad Herwig, Buddy Baker, Ed Neumeister, and Wycliffe Gordon.

Currently Marshall is a member of the internationally acclaimed Edmar Castañeda Trio as well as the Maria Schneider Orchestra, and David Berger's Sultans of Swing. In addition he has performed with the Village Vanguard Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Stanley Turrentine, and Benny Golson. In the Latin community, he s performed with Machito, Giovanni Hidalgo, Chico O Farrell, Tito Nieves, Big 3 Palladium Orchestra, Raulin Rosendo, Ray Sepulveda, Eddie Santiago, Jose Alberto, and Iroko La Banda.

During the fall of 2001-fall of 2002 Marshall played for the National and Japanese tours of the Broadway show Swing ,and in 2003 he was a finalist in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition.

His album credits include the Marshall Gilkes Quartet "Edenderry", Edmar Castaneda "Cuarto de Colores" David Berger "Marlowe", Ryan Keberle "Double Quartet", Maria Schneider "Sky Blue", Big 3 Palladium Orchestra Live at the Blue Note , and John Fedchock "Up and Running". Marshall has toured extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and the Caribbean, and has performed at the Umbria Jazz Festival, Vienna Jazz Festival, JVC Jazz Festival, Telluride Jazz Festival,Panama Jazz Festival, Lincoln Center, Tokyo s Orchard Hall, and the Moscow Conservatory.