An Evening With Terence Blanchard

Multiple GRAMMY-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard released his latest album, the critically acclaimed Breathless (Blue Note Records), on May 26 with his new quintet, The E-Collective. The album features Blanchard journeying into a new zone of grooved fusion teeming with funk, R&B and blues colors, and is a statement piece, with the title referencing “I can’t breathe,” the words of Eric Garner that have since echoed across the country in protest of discrimination. The E-Collective includes Charles Altura (guitar), Fabian Almazan (piano/synths), Donald Ramsey (bass), and Oscar Seaton (drums). Co-produced by Blanchard and his manager Robin Burgess, and executive produced by Blue Note Records president Don Was, Breathless zeroes in on several Blanchard originals, an epic-length piece by Almazan (“Everglades”) and a variety of covers, sung by soothing and soulful vocalist PJ Morton (Maroon 5), including a take on the modern standard “Compared To What,” made famous by Les McCann and Eddie Harris, and the soul-vibed “I Ain’t Got Nothin’ But Time,” penned by Hank Williams. Morton also performs the pop-styled “Shutting Down,” written by Blanchard’s son, T. Oliver Blanchard Jr., aka JRei Oliver, who also contributes spoken word excerpts. Following recent performances on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Tavis Smiley Show, SiriusXM Radio, Melissa Harris-Perry on MSNBC, and NPR, the GRAMMY Museum welcomes Blanchard to the Clive Davis Theater for an intimate discussion surrounding his career and latest album, moderated by veteran music journalist Steve Hochman, and an intimate performance by Blanchard and his band.