Five years on and two CDs hence, Terence Blanchard is still working through the remnants of what Hurricane Katrina left behind.
That fact sometimes catches the Grammy-winning jazz trumpeter by surprise. Musically, the Crescent City native began working through that trauma more than five years ago with the Blue Note CD “A Tale of God’s Will: A Requiem for Katrina.” That haunting, if not understated work drew from the score Blanchard composed for “When the Levees Broke,” an HBO documentary by Blanchard’s longtime friend and collaborator, Spike Lee.
Then two years ago Blanchard looked at the political aftermath of the storm in the experimental CD “Choices,” a collaboration with Yale professor and public intellectual Cornel West. So Blanchard thought the rebuilding effort for the city and his psyche was well under way. Then he and some friends watched an episode of the HBO series “Treme,” set in post-Katrina New Orleans.
“It brought us back to the memories,” Blanchard said recently. “We forgot emotionally that we’d moved past all of that.”
He still allows the experience to have space in his music, when necessary, but there’s so much more he has to say these days. There’s a new Broadway show, an opera and a new post as artistic director of the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami. On Saturday, Blanchard and his quintet will headline the 18th annual “Jazz Under the Stars” outdoor concert at Clark Atlanta University. Here Blanchard talks about the music, ego, and the importance of multiple perspectives.
On the dispute between filmmakers Spike Lee and Tyler Perry over the portrayal of African-Americans in contemporary cinema:
Tyler is from New Orleans. So I don’t begrudge him or say he shouldn’t do the kinds of films he does. But those aren’t the stories I want my children to always see. Spike is all about showing the breadth of who we are and the richness and diversity of our experience. He is saying we have to be careful in what we present. Tyler is saying, “This is what people want.” To me, what we’re talking about is balance. That’s a debate we in the black community need to have. With Spike and Tyler, the thing I hate is that I just hope they don’t turn personal. There’s still room enough for all of us to exist.
On his cameo appearance in the first season of the HBO series “Treme”:
We were having a party at my house during Jazz Fest and [“Treme” producer/director] Anthony Hemingway came over and said, “Man, I wrote you in an episode.” I’ve been on television before, but this was my first time delivering lines [in a scripted show]. Later, after he gave me the script, I was walking around the house just practicing. So when I got on set, somebody said “Action!” I looked around and said “Huh?” I couldn’t even remember my first line, which was “Hi.” Nobody’s said anything to me yet coming back this season.
On working on the score for the new Broadway show “The Mother****** with the Hat” starring Chris Rock:
This was my first Broadway show to work on. I was there from the first rehearsals and these characters start to become a part of your psyche. That translated into the layering that I put into the music. It’s as much a backdrop as the scenery or the costuming. You hear the metallic sounds of New York, some hip-hop, all of that. It’s a very urban story and they deal with some very touchy subjects. There are no easy answers. And Chris Rock, he is no slouch. This cat has a career. He didn’t have to jump off into this and I saw him really focus and contribute. It’s an amazing thing to watch.
On playing with childhood friend and fellow jazz great Branford Marsalis during a recent tour and his upcoming show with The Roots in Los Angeles:
We had a lot of fun. A lot. But I know it was disgusting for the guys in our bands to hear all the stories about how we grew up. With [Branford and Wynton Marsalis], you have to remember, we came up in the 1970s when people were into electronic and people were asking if jazz was dead. So meeting them was so important to me as a young jazz artist because it meant I wasn’t alone. Now with The Roots, they called me. I’ve never played with them before but I’ve always enjoyed their music. Questlove has really created enormous appeal, and that’s cool because it’s not always easy for the drummer to shine.
On his next move:
I’m working on an opera for the St. Louis Opera and I’m working with George Lucas on the “Red Tails” [an action biopic based on the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII]. Then I’ll move on to working on new music for my own album.
On what he looks for in young, budding jazz artists:
Talent, passion and a willingness to learn. Don’t allow ego to get in the way of your growth.
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Concert preview
Terence Blanchard Quintet
The 18th annual “Jazz Under the Stars” scholarship concert. Also performing: Clark Atlanta University Jazz Orchestra and Clark Atlanta University Jazz Vocal Ensemble. 7 p.m. Saturday. Harkness Hall Quadrangle at Clark Atlanta University. 223 James P. Brawley Drive SW, Atlanta. $60. Food and beverages are allowed. 404-880-8136.
Proceeds fund grants to CAU students in the performing arts.
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