Terence Blanchard, as jazz aficionados may know, is a world-renowned composer with more than 50 film scores to his credit. He has also released more than 29 CDs and is a four-time Grammy Award winner. In short, Blanchard is a consummate performer with a trumpet to his lips and a message in his music — one that he plans to deliver to Blues Alley audiences on Sunday.
“I’ve played Blues Alley a number of times,” he said. “We’ll play from my new CD, ‘Choices,’ and a couple of songs we’re working on for our new CD.”
| Onstage |
| Terence Blanchard Quintet |
| Where: Blues Alley Jazz Supper Club. 1073 Wisconsin Ave. NW |
| When: 8 and 10 p.m Sunday |
| Info: $37.75; 202-337-4141; bluesalley.com |
Blanchard is joined by his quintet members; Brice Winston on tenor sax, Fabian Almazan at the piano, Derrick Hodge on bass and Kendrick Scott at the drums.
“Choices” is a sequel to the album “A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina),” which calls up the devastation of Blanchard’s hometown of New Orleans. It has been called a “13-track, emotional tour de force of anger, rage, compassion, melancholy and beauty.”
“Choices” is about making our lives better; making our living conditions better, according to Blanchard. His music was recently presented in Spike Lee’s HBO documentary “If God’s Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise,” commemorating the fifth anniversary of the Hurricane Katrina disaster.
Blanchard makes no bones about the fact that Lee is his favorite director to work with, saying, “Spike is the man to me! He’s the guy that’s challenged me in terms of the choices we make every day of our lives [and how] they will have an impact on the people we turn out to be. [Spike’s] had the most trust in me — there is no question he is the man.”
In the meantime, as Blanchard sets out to score the sound track for “Red Tails,” a film about black pilots in World War II, produced by George Lucas, he maintains that live performance is always his first love.
“It’s what I grew up wanting to do, [and] that will never change,” he said.
