After completing a stint in the Marine Corps, Marsalis returned to New Orleans and married Dolores Ferdinand, a New Orleanian, who bore him six sons; Branford, Wynton, Ellis ill, Delfeayo, Mboya and Jason. In 1964 he moved his wife and family of, at the time, four sons to the small rural Louisiana town of Breaux Bridge where he became a high school band and choral director for two years. Returning to New Orleans he began to free lance once again on the local music scene.

Between 1966 and 1974 Marsalis would perform at the Playboy Club(New Orleans), in the Al Hirt band, the Storyville Jazz band at Crazy Shirley's night club, Lu and Charlies night club and enter the teaching profession again as an adjunct professor at Xavier University(New Orleans). While the family continued to grow Marsalis decided to return to school in the early summer-session of 1974 working towards a Masters Degree at Loyola University(New Orleans). Marsalis would also interview for a teaching position at a new Magnet school for the arts towards the end of the summer. His interview was successful and he was hired in the Fall semester at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts high school(NOCCA). He would spend the next twelve years as an instrumental teacher with a Jazz studies emphasis. In1986 Marsalis accepted the position of Commonwealth Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. He would spend three years as coordinator of Jazz Studies before returning to New Orleans and the University of New Orleans to occupy the CocaCola endowed chair of Jazz Studies where he is currently the director. Marsalis has been the recipient of Honorary Doctorate degrees from his alma mater Dillard University(1989) and Ball State University( 1997).

He has been a guest on several network television shows and appeared on NBC's

"Today" with host Bryant Gumbel; the "Tonight Show" show with both Johnny Carson and Jay Leno as hosts; the A"rsenio Hall show; the Charlie Rose show; Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood; ABC's "Good Morning America" with Spencer Christian and several local and regional shows. 

In 1984 Marsalis and New Orleans singer/actress Joanne Creighton (Lady BJ) shared honors at the Ace A wards ceremony for the best single music program on cable television.

Ellis Marsalis continues to be active as a performing pianist leading his own group, records on the CBS-SONY label and continues with his responsibilities at the University of New Orleans as Director of Jazz Studies.