Terence Blanchard, one of the most important jazz trumpet players in the world, is coming

The visit of Terence Blanchard, one of the most important jazz trumpeters in the world, considered one of the leading figures of the so-called neo bop.

Miles Davis called him “the brightest of the new trumpeters”, and his style is close to that of Wynton Marsalis, who had been his friend since childhood.

Blanchard is also the author and arranger of film soundtracks, for example Jungle fever Y Malcolm X. He has been nominated twice for an Oscar (the last time for his collaboration with Spike Lee in Gives 5 Blood), he was also noted as an opera composer on two occasions.

His work The fire is silent in my bones opened the 2021-2022 season of the New York Metropolitan Opera, becoming the first African American to have an opera at the Met.

Additionally, Blanchard teaches the Kenny Burrell Chair in Jazz Studies at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music.

Early in his career in 1994, he told DownBeat: “Writing for movies is fun, but nothing can beat being a jazz musician, playing in a club, playing in concert.”

his new album

In his 30th year as the leader of the recording, the six-time Grammy winner will come to present absencereleased last year and dedicated to his mentor Wayne Shorter.

Since its release, it has been considered a masterpiece of sonic enthusiasm, made in collaboration with his former band E-Collective and the acclaimed Turtle Island Quartet, led by violinist / artistic director David Balakirshnan and with Gabe Terracciano on violin, Benjamin von Gutzeit . viola and Malcom Parson on cello.

It may seem like a lopsided match, but Blanchard has found the perfect quartet. “Obviously I’ve worked with ropes in my career,” he says. “But Turtle Island has reinvented the language of the string quartet. It is extremely unique and what they do is brilliant. Playing together is like a chamber jazz group. “

Dedicated to Wayne Shorter

Recorded in February 2020 at UCLA’s Mo Austin Recording Studio shortly before Covid-19 closes, absence it started as a project to show gratitude to Wayne Shorter.

“I knew Wayne wasn’t feeling well at the time, so I wanted to honor him by letting him know how important he is to me,” says Blanchard, who now lives in Los Angeles and his native New Orleans.

“When you look at my writings, you can see how much I’ve learned from Wayne. He learned to write compositions starting from a simple melody and then approaching it with harmonies that come from a different place so that he comes to life in a different light. This is what makes it beautiful. This album is about writing songs, not just about his works, but also about writing our music to see how much he has influenced us. “

As on previous E-Collective recordings, Blanchard unleashes his synthesizer-influenced ensemble (pianist Fabian Almazan, guitarist Charles Altura, bassist David Ginyard and drummer Oscar Seaton) to stretch as a band.

“I leave them the space to explore as repairers,” says the leader. “It is important for the band itself, as well as for my growth, to develop new ways of playing other people’s music. Guys do things I never would have thought of. We try to create something unique. With Wayne we learn his music and we really absorb it. Then we give our impressions ”.

absence it was put together faster than any other Blanchard project. He had been in talks with Turtle Island, who had initially discussed plans for him to arrange a piece for a string quartet, but those talks changed direction. Two weeks later they were all in the studio.

“What made it so good is that it was for Wayne,” says Blanchard. “He’s a funny, silly and bright guy. He inspired us all. When you think about it, Wayne invented John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin, Cannonball Adderley. He went through all those guys, but he found his voice, his way of expressing himself. You have to give it credit, not only with the horn but also with the pencil. This is what makes him a great jazz artist. “

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