Marshall Gilkes is an American trombonist, composer and arranger, and one of the most sought-after voices on his instrument in contemporary jazz. Raised in Camp Springs, Maryland, he trained at the Juilliard School and was a finalist in the 2003 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, releasing his debut album Edenderry the following year.

Since 2010 he has been a full member of Germany's WDR Big Band. That partnership produced Köln in 2015, which earned him two Grammy nominations, for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album and Best Instrumental Composition, and LifeSongs followed with the same ensemble. JazzTimes named him Trombonist of the Year in 2018.

Gilkes has performed with the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, the Duke Ellington Orchestra and the trombone quartet Slide Monsters, and alongside Billy Cobham, Edmar Castañeda, Benny Golson and Stanley Turrentine. He teaches, and has developed a signature instrument with trombone makers S.E. Shires.