Terence Blanchard - Bounce (2003)

Bounce is a collage of swinging, soulful, and artistic cuts that are bound to strike the fancy of Terence Blanchard fans. The band's vast range covers territory from bop to African beats to traditional New Orleans marching band music, as demonstrated on the cuts "Transform," "Azania," and "Bounce/Let's Go Off" respectively. Blanchard calls on the services of Brice Winston, Lionel Loueke, Robert Glasper, Aaron Parks, Brandon Owens, and Eric Harland for Bounce. Interestingly, none of the band members (save Blanchard) are proverbial household jazz names. This is testimony enough that straight up, unadulterated jazz need not include neon-light, star musicians in order to produce quality, thoughtful scores. This tight band came to play. 

The skillfully done "Nocturna" is the most seductive, mellow cut on the disc. Blanchard uses his trumpet as a voice, communicating his penchant for romantic flair. Owens keeps the melody going on bass while Loueke flicks his guitar to accent the piece. As the track quickens, Blanchard returns and turns up the heat, cooking at a mile high crescendo. And Harland's sound is simply beautiful as he massages the drums, knowing when to accent the melody. 

"Footprints," a Wayne Shorter classic, is excellently done and begins with the funky bass-driven, drum-accented vamp. Blanchard appears to lay back in the cut before he moves into Shorter's classic vein. The band handles this classic with the utmost integrity, handling the jewel with class. Parks' piano accents are skillfully conceived and well-timed along with Harland's drum strokes. Blanchard has a way of capturing the listeners ear using high notes combined with sounds from the lower range. Not to be outdone, Winston delves into a tight mini-solo on saxophone that demonstrates a fluent sense of improvisation in addition to a resonance with the original composition. ~ by Eddie Becton, AAJ. 

Blue Note, 7243 5 90953 2 5, 2003
Recorded 16th - 19th February, 2003 at Avatar Studios, New York, NY 

Personnel:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet
Brice Winston - Tenor & Soprano Saxophones (#1-3,5-8)
Aaron Parks - Piano (#1,2,4-8)
Robert Glasper - Hammond B-3 & Fender Rhodes (#2-6,8)
Lionel Loueke - Guitar & Vocals (#1-8)
Brandon Owens - Bass
Eric Harland - Drums 

Tracks:
1. On The Verge {Aaron Parks} (8:43)
2. Passionate Courage {Terence Blanchard} (6:32)
3. Fred Brown {Terence Blanchard} (7:43)
4. Nocturna {Ivan Links, Victor Martins} (7:34)
5. Azania {Terence Blanchard} (6:04)
6. Footprints {Wayne Shorter} (7:32)
7. Transform {Eric Harland} (9:01)
8. Innocence {Brandon Owens} (7:23)
9. Bounce {Terence Blanchard}, Let's Go Off {Donald Harrison} (7:06) 

Total Time: 67:38 

Credits:
Producer - Terence Blanchard, Michael Cuscuna
Executive-Producer - Bruce Lundvall

Terence Blanchard feat. The E-Collective - Breathless (2015)

Terence Blanchard's 2013 return to Blue Note, Magnetic, built upon his decades-long history of post-bop dynamism with a forward-thinking approach that blended edgy, modal improvisation with a sophisticated, genre-crossing compositional style. It was a concept he had been investigating on his previous efforts Bounce (2003), Flow (2005), and Choices (2009). In keeping with this boundary-pushing trajectory, Blanchard's follow-up, 2015's Breathless, finds the New Orleans native jumping wholeheartedly into a funky stew of R&B, hip-hop, and fusion-influenced jazz. Blanchard is joined here by his band the E-Collective, an adroit group of young players including keyboardist Fabian Almazan, Charles Altura on Guitar, bassist Donald Ramsey, drummer Oscar Seaton and also guest vocalist PJ Morton. Breathless is Blanchard's most electrified album to date in a contemporary jazz direction. Here, we get a very '90s hip-hop/jazz, several languid, new agey spoken word pieces, and some expansive, groove-oriented cuts. Also, intriguing are Morton's several slow jam vocal numbers, including an inspired cover of Hank Williams' "I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time”. Also, compelling is the languid, dreamy ballad "Everglades," with its angular, synthy, '80s electro-funk. Ultimately, while Breathless is a break from the aggressive, acoustic swing that has marked much of Blanchard's career, it nonetheless retains all the jaw-dropping artistry and soulful creativity we have come to expect, albeit delivered in a vibrant, electric style. ~ Extract by Matt Collar, AMG. 

Blue Note, 0602547269393, 2015
Recorded 2015 at Esplanade Recording Studios, New Orleans, Louisiana 

Musicians:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet
Fabian Almazan - Piano, Synthesizer
Charles Altura - Guitar
Donald Ramsey - Bass, Backing Vocals
Oscar Seaton - Drums 

Guests:
PJ Morton - Vocals (#1,6,11)
JRei Oliver - Backing Vocals, Spoken Words (#6,8)
Dr. Cornel West (#9) 

Tracks:
01. Compared To What {Gene McDaniels} (5:48)
02. See Me As I Am {Terence Blanchard} (8:52)
03. Everglades {Fabian Almazan} (14:33)
04. Breathless {Terence Blanchard} (4:38)
05. Confident Selflessness {Terence Blanchard} (8:13)
06. Shutting Down {T. Oliver Blanchard, Jr.} (4:12)
07. Soldiers {Terence Blanchard} (6:08)
08. Samadhi {Terence Blanchard} (3:56)
09. Talk To Me {Terence Blanchard} (4:04)
10. Tom & Jerry {Terence Blanchard} (2:48)
11. I Ain't Got Nothin' But Time {Hank Williams} (4:28)
12. Cosmic Warrior {Terence Blanchard} (5:24)
13. Midnight {C. Martin, G. Berryman, J. Buckland, W. Champion} (4:53) 

Total Time: 78:04 

Credits:
Producer - Robin Burgess, Terence Blanchard
Executive-Producer, A&R - Don Was
Engineer, Mixing - Frank Wolf
Engineer [Assistant] - Casey Contreary
Mastering - Gavin Lurssen
Photography - Henry Adebonojo
A&R [Administration] - Steve Cook
Art Direction, Design - Randall Leddy

Terence Blanchard - The Heart Speaks (1996)

Although trumpeter Terence Blanchard gets first billing on this recording, it is very much a joint effort with singer-composer Ivan Lins. Not only are all 13 songs by Lins but he sings on all but the three instrumentals although sometimes just wordlessly in the background. Blanchard often harmonizes with Lins' voice, creating a melancholy and dreamy atmosphere. Most selections feature Blanchard's regular rhythm section of the time, augmented by Paulinho Da Costa's percussion and occasionally Oscar Castro-Neves' acoustic guitar. This CD, which is full of haunting ballads along with a few more jubilant numbers, serves as a superior introduction to Lins' music for jazz fans who might only be familiar with his "Love Dance." ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Columbia Records, CK 67415, 1996
Recorded 28th-31st August, 1995 at Conway Studios, Studio C, Hollywood, California 

Musicians:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Arranger [Cello]
Ivan Lins - Piano, Vocals (#1-4,6,8,9,11-13)
Edward Simon - Piano (#1,2,4-10,12,13)
Oscar Castro-Neves - Guitar (#1-3,9,13)
David Pulphus - Bass (#1-10,12,13)
David Bohanovich - Cello (#2)
Fred Zlotkin - Cello (#8,10)
Troy Davis - Drums (#1-7,9,10,12,13)
Paulinho Da Costa - Percussion (#1-4,6,9,12,13)

Tracks:
01. Aparecida {Ivan Lins, Maurício Tapajós} (6:02)
02. Antes Que Seja Tarde {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:30)
03. Meu Pais [My Country] {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (3:57)
04. Valsa Mineira {Ivan Lins} (4:54)
05. The Heart Speaks {Ivan Lins} (5:28)
06. Congada Blues {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:37)
07. Nocturna {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (5:26)
08. Just For Nana {Ivan Lins} (5:04)
09. Orizimbo And Rosicler {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:31)
10. Choros Das Aguas {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (7:29)
11. Love Dance {Paul Williams, Ivan Lins, Gilson Peranzzetta, Vitor Martins}
/ Começar de Novo {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:26)
12. Menino {Ivan Lins, Vitor Martins} (4:50)
13. Aparecida Reprise {Ivan Lins, Maurício Tapajós} (1:05) 

Total Time: 64:27 

Credits:
Producer - Miles Goodman
Executive Producer - Tony McAnany
Associate Producer - Robin Burgess
Engineer, Mixing - Joel Moss, James Nichols
Assistant Engineer - Sean O’Dwyer
Mastering - Vladimir Meller
Photography - Hans Neleman
Art Direction - Joel Zimmerman
Liner Notes - Ivan Lins

Terence Blanchard - Simply Stated (1992)

Terence Blanchard is in top form throughout this highly enjoyable outing. The trumpeter is most memorable on "Dear Old Stockholm" (a song from the 1950's that he helped revive), an emotional "When It's Sleepy Time Down South" and a medley of his "Glass J," the theme from "Mo' Better Blues" and Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman." Blanchard, who also plays "Detour Ahead" and four of his originals, is joined by tenor-saxophonist Sam Newsome, pianist Bruce Barth, bassist Rodney Whitaker, either Troy Davis or Billy Kilson on drums and (on "Dear Old Stockholm") the up-and-coming altoist Antonio Hart. The music is tied to the hard bop tradition yet is quite fresh and open to more modern influences. ~ by Scott Yanow, AMG. 

Columbia Records, CK 48903, 1992
Recorded 1992 at BMG Studios, New York, New York 

Personnel:
Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Piano [Solo] (#5)
Antonio Hart - Alto Saxophone (#4)
Sam Newsome - Tenor Saxophone
Bruce Barth - Piano
Rodney Whitaker - Bass
Billy Kilson - Drums (#7)
Troy Davis - Drums, Cymbals 

Tracks:
1. Lil' Fawdy {Terence Blanchard} (5:23)
2. Central Focus {Terence Blanchard} (4:38)
3. Simply Stated {Terence Blanchard} (8:24)
4. Dear Old Stockholm {Traditional} (10:03)
5. Little Miss Olivia Ray {Terence Blanchard} (2:32)
6. Glass J {Terence Blanchard} / Mo' Better Blues {Bill Lee}
/ Lonely Woman {Ornette Coleman} (11:25)
7. Detour Ahead {Lou Carter, Herb Ellis, John Freigo} (11:41)
8. When It's Sleepy Time Down South {Clarence Muse, Otis & Leon René} (8:34) 

Total Time: 62:44

Credits:
Producer - Terence Blanchard
Executive Producer - Dr. George Butler
Recording, Mixing & Mastering - James P. Nichols
Studio Technician - Marian Conaty, Major Little
Art Direction, Design - Joel Zimmerman
Photography - Jim Galante

Terence Blanchard - Flow (2005)

Two years before Flow, Terence Blanchard released Bounce, a departure from anything he had done in his already storied career. It was a seminal album, with the ideas of a musician 20 years his junior, but the skill and command of the jazz great that he had become. As a follow-up, Flow exhibits that no one better balances traditionalism, provincialism and contemporary aesthetics like Blanchard. This is almost immediately evident and highlighted on "Wadagbe," the album's third cut. Blanchard’s instantly recognizable, clarion-call horn-tone is still there, as is the native New Orleanian's homage to the Nola stomp and mardi gras Indian chants, plus a classically lyrical jazz-head and an end-song coda that singes. Guitarist Lionel Loueke, still in his early 30s at the time, wrote "Wadagbe" and Benny Golson tribute "Benny's Tune." Young drummer Kendrick Scott wrote album-standout "The Source." In fact, Blanchard handles sole writing duties of just one song on the album, "Wandering Wonder," allowing his younger sidemen's voices to shine. It is this young energy that keeps Blanchard and the album's producer, Herbie Hancock, sounding so vibrant and current. Hancock, years into receiving Social Security, turned in the piano solo of the year on "The Source" - a percussive display so cerebral, violent and dramatic that it almost defies belief. Few of Blanchard's Young Lion peers from the 1980s are still relevant in any fresh way, which makes Flow, together with its predecessor Bounce, such a revelation. Blanchard isn't stuck making 60s tribute albums or recycling the sound of his youth. Instead, he's hooking up with the hip kids, sometimes directing traffic, sometimes going with the Flow. ~ by Vincent Thomas, AMG.

Blue Note, 7243 5 78274 2 3, 2005

Recorded 11^th-14^th December, 2004 At Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood, California

Personnel:

Terence Blanchard - Trumpet, Programming, Synthesizer Programming

Brice Winston - Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Yamaha WX5

Lionel Loueke - Guitar, Vocals

Aaron Parks - Piano (#2,3,5,8,9,11)

Herbie Hancock - Piano (#4,7)

Derrick Hodge - Bass

Kendrick Scott - Drums

Howard Drossin - Programming, Synthesizer Programming

Gretchen Parlato - Vocals (#8,9)

Tracks:

01. Flow, Part 1 {Terence Blanchard, Derrick Hodge} (5:29)

02. Wadagbe [Intro] {Lionel Loueke} (4:14)

03. Wadagbe {Lionel Loueke} (10:27)

04. Benny's Tune {Lionel Loueke} (7:43)

05. Wandering Wonder {Terence Blanchard} (5:46)

06. Flow, Part II {Terence Blanchard, Derrick Hodge} (3:38)

07. The Source {Kendrick Scott} (8:02)

08. Over There {Derrick Hodge} (7:32)

09. Child's Play {Brice Winston} (6:12)

10. Flow, Part III {Terence Blanchard, Derrick Hodge} (2:45)

11. Harvesting Dance {Aaron Parks} (11:43)

Credits:

Producer, Audio Production - Herbie Hancock

Executive Producer - Bruce Lundvall

Engineer - Don Murray

Assistant Engineer - Glenn Pittman

Mixing Assistant - Seth Presant

Mastering - Robert Vosgien

Concept, Photography - Nitin Vadukul

Art Direction, Design - Burton Yount