Terence Blanchard E-Collective

Vanity Fair has called Terence Blanchard “the most coolly, expressive trumpet in jazz…” and his five Grammys and countless accolades back up the claim. From his start alongside Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, the New Orleans native has become a leading performer and recording artist, as well as film composer and educator. Since launching his solo career in 1990, he has released fifteen albums and has scored over forty films, including every Spike Lee film since 1991’s Jungle Fever. With his group E Collective, Blanchard released Breathless in 2015. Marking the trumpeter’s first foray into purely groove-based music, he states “Breathless is the album I’ve been wanting to do for quite a while…growing up I was listening to the Head Hunters and Weather Report, which has a strong effect on me.” The effects show off to great success, as the E-Collective brings electric energy to a vital new set of Blanchard originals. It’s a modern sound and features the addition of vocals, yet remains a perfect setting for Blanchard’s trademark rich, yet nuanced, trumpet tone.