Friday, July 31, 2009

Terence Blanchard



Tonight at the Ogden, Terence Blanchard will premiere music from his upcoming album, "Choices," in our Patrick F. Taylor Library, an historic H. H. Richardson building attached to Goldring Hall. The new album, scheduled for release on August 18, was recorded in the library in early March, the first time Blanchard has recorded in his hometown.

A native of New Orleans who studied under Ellis Marsalis at the NOCCA Institute, Blanchard first emerged on the scene in 1980 with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra. He went on to play trumpet for Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, becoming the band's musical director, replacing Wynton Marsalis.

In 1990, Blanchard launched his solo career, and has since made a name for himself as trumpet player, band leader, arranger and composer in the hard bop tradition. His work as a film composer on over fifty films has reached a wide audience, and garnered numerous Grammy nominations. He is currently director of the Thelonius Monk Institute, and led the charge to move that institution to New Orleans from Los Angeles after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures.

Tonight's event will feature Terence Blanchard and his band—Fabian Almazan on piano, Derrick Hodge on bass, Kendrick Scott on drums and Walter Smith III on saxophone, and special guest vocalist Bilal.

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