Terence Blanchard

[ShaSha]

:D

OK, I moan and groan about living down here, but tonight I get to hear what should be a really special show at the Kennedy Center:

Hosted by Bill Cosby
featuring The Terence Blanchard Quintet
plus vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, and Raul Midón
and the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Kennedy Center Honoree Bill Cosby hosts this electrifying multimedia event featuring live music from Academy Award–nominated director Spike Lee's most celebrated films, from Bamboozled, 25th Hour, Jungle Fever, and Malcolm X to Mo' Better Blues, Clockers, and Inside Man. His longtime collaborator, Grammy-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard, performs the scores and R&B hits with his quintet, members of the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, and special guest vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, and Raul Midón. Updated from its smash engagements in London, New York, Chicago, and L.A., the concert will feature photographs from the films, shot on location by Spike Lee's brother David Lee, as well as music from When the Levees Broke, Spike Lee's acclaimed HBO documentary on Hurricane Katrina.

The AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center will showcase the film music of Terence Blanchard, frequent collaborator on the films of Spike Lee, with a screening and discussion with Terence Blanchard on Friday evening, December 7. Visit their Web site for more details.

PROGRAM
Bamboozled
Main Theme – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
"Shadowlands" – Dee Dee Bridgewater, Terence Blanchard Quintet, and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Inside Man
"Hostage Breakdown" – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Clockers
"People in Search of a Life" – Kurt Elling and Terence Blanchard Quintet
"Strike Packs Up" – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Malcolm X
Opening Credits – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
Eulogy (video w/sound) – Terence Blanchard Quintet
"A Change Is Gonna Come" – Raul Midón and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Jungle Fever
"These Three Words" – Raul Midón and Terence Blanchard Quintet
"Make Sure You're Sure" – Dee Dee Bridgewater and Terence Blanchard Quintet

25th Hour
Open Title – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
One Last Walk – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

Mo' Better Blues
"Mo' Better Blues" – Terence Blanchard Quintet
"Pop Top 40" – Kurt Elling and Terence Blanchard Quintet

When the Levees Broke
"Funeral Dirge" – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
"Levees" – Terence Blanchard Quintet and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra
"The Ghost of Congo Square" –Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling, Raul Midón, Terence Blanchard Quintet, and Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra

[windowman]

WOW!! That looks like an unforgettable show, Sha. Let us know what you think, I would love to hear Terence in that setting. If he does not win a Grammy for "A Tale of God's Will", something is terribly wrong.

[papafrog]

yaya Sha Sha....sounds wondermous...i used to live d.c....i loved it there.
please let us know how it goes...
Terence performed his new music with the Louisiana Philharmonic at Tulane
the nite of festgiving....
I hope he does a return performance...

[mightyradgumbo]

Sounds like a fantastic show, Sha...please give us a review. YYR, wynn about Terence.

[ShaSha]

What a great show!

Cosby came out first to introduce Terence and to make a couple of jokes - most notably that Spike has never asked him to appear in one of his films.

The Quintet was on the stage to Terence's right and left and the orchestra was situated in loose semi-circles around them. A decent sized screen hung above the center of the orchestra and showed clips and stills from the films as the band played. I was in the first-tier (turns out 1st tier is the nose bleed section) and had no problems seeing the screen.

Honestly, I didn't notice the screen very often. The music was SOOOOO gorgeous. I think there were 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, an upright bass, 4 timpani, percussion, a french horn, 2 trombones, and an oboe + the upright bass, drums, saxophone, piano, and trumpet in the Quintet. I was in band/orchestra nerd heaven.

The 2 most moving pieces for me were from 25th Hour and When the Levees Broke. I have not seen either film. Hadn't even heard of 25th Hour, so I was taken by surprise when a mournful cello solo was accented by pictures of the Tribute to the Trade Towers (long blue columns of light). I think my heart stopped. It was so sad that I wept in silence (and thankfully) in the dark. In all honesty, my heart was aching, but the music was so appropriate and rich that my ears were dancing.

It's probably no surprise that the other moving moment was during the Levee segment. I don't think I could recall a note of what I heard because, for the only time that night, all of my focus was on the screen. I have not seen the movie and, after the clips that I saw Saturday night, I'm not sure that I am ready to see it yet.

Vocals!!
DeeDee Bridgewater -- what a trip! Her voice is fantastic and her on stage persona is even better. This was my first time getting to see her perform and I can't imagine passing up the next opportunity that comes my way.

Kurt Elling, like DeeDee, seemed to be a jazz vocalist. I'm not really a jazz vocalist fan. Just not my thing. But Kurt's voice was deep and soothing. The kind of voice that could talk you into doing things that you probably shouldn't. ;) I don't know that I'd go out of my way to check him out, but he was a great fit for the songs that he was chosen to sing.

If anyone stole the show, it had to have been Raul Midon. He was fantastic! The Playbill described him as sounding like Stevie Wonder, which I quickly dismissed. Raul is blind and I figured that the similarities would end there. Wrong. This guy could and did sound a bit like Stevie Wonder. He earned the first standing ovation of the night for his performance of A Change Is Gonna Come. It was brilliant. I was left with goose bumps. I'd travel to hear this guy do his own thing.

As the night was coming to an end (and Cosby had left the building I think), Terence mentioned that he sent Spike a text regarding Cosby's complaint about never being asked to be in a film. Apparently, Cosby is expensive so his time in the movies is very short - so short that we probably missed seeing him. So, they replayed a few scenes from a couple of movies with Cosby's face super-imposed on Denzel Washington's body and a few others. :D

Terence sounded great on trumpet, as usual. I think that it was difficult for him to "chit chat" between pieces and had Spike Lee been able to attend, Terence would not have had to sort of MC the event. All in all, I wanted more. Being the music-glutton that I am, I thought that they could have dismissed the orchestra and moved the Quintet up to the small jazz club that the Center opened a few years ago for another set of Terence music, but that didn't happen. So, I put my jacket back on and I took my greedy (happy and full) self home. :)

[papafrog]

What a great show!

Cosby came out first to introduce Terence and to make a couple of jokes - most notably that Spike has never asked him to appear in one of his films.

The Quintet was on the stage to Terence's right and left and the orchestra was situated in loose semi-circles around them. A decent sized screen hung above the center of the orchestra and showed clips and stills from the films as the band played. I was in the first-tier (turns out 1st tier is the nose bleed section) and had no problems seeing the screen.

Honestly, I didn't notice the screen very often. The music was SOOOOO gorgeous. I think there were 4 violins, 2 violas, 2 cellos, an upright bass, 4 timpani, percussion, a french horn, 2 trombones, and an oboe + the upright bass, drums, saxophone, piano, and trumpet in the Quintet. I was in band/orchestra nerd heaven.

The 2 most moving pieces for me were from 25th Hour and When the Levees Broke. I have not seen either film. Hadn't even heard of 25th Hour, so I was taken by surprise when a mournful cello solo was accented by pictures of the Tribute to the Trade Towers (long blue columns of light). I think my heart stopped. It was so sad that I wept in silence (and thankfully) in the dark. In all honesty, my heart was aching, but the music was so appropriate and rich that my ears were dancing.

It's probably no surprise that the other moving moment was during the Levee segment. I don't think I could recall a note of what I heard because, for the only time that night, all of my focus was on the screen. I have not seen the movie and, after the clips that I saw Saturday night, I'm not sure that I am ready to see it yet.

Vocals!!
DeeDee Bridgewater -- what a trip! Her voice is fantastic and her on stage persona is even better. This was my first time getting to see her perform and I can't imagine passing up the next opportunity that comes my way.

Kurt Elling, like DeeDee, seemed to be a jazz vocalist. I'm not really a jazz vocalist fan. Just not my thing. But Kurt's voice was deep and soothing. The kind of voice that could talk you into doing things that you probably shouldn't. ;) I don't know that I'd go out of my way to check him out, but he was a great fit for the songs that he was chosen to sing.

If anyone stole the show, it had to have been Raul Midon. He was fantastic! The Playbill described him as sounding like Stevie Wonder, which I quickly dismissed. Raul is blind and I figured that the similarities would end there. Wrong. This guy could and did sound a bit like Stevie Wonder. He earned the first standing ovation of the night for his performance of A Change Is Gonna Come. It was brilliant. I was left with goose bumps. I'd travel to hear this guy do his own thing.

As the night was coming to an end (and Cosby had left the building I think), Terence mentioned that he sent Spike a text regarding Cosby's complaint about never being asked to be in a film. Apparently, Cosby is expensive so his time in the movies is very short - so short that we probably missed seeing him. So, they replayed a few scenes from a couple of movies with Cosby's face super-imposed on Denzel Washington's body and a few others. :D

Terence sounded great on trumpet, as usual. I think that it was difficult for him to "chit chat" between pieces and had Spike Lee been able to attend, Terence would not have had to sort of MC the event. All in all, I wanted more. Being the music-glutton that I am, I thought that they could have dismissed the orchestra and moved the Quintet up to the small jazz club that the Center opened a few years ago for another set of Terence music, but that didn't happen. So, I put my jacket back on and I took my greedy (happy and full) self home. :)


wow Sha..."sobbing in the dark, heart aching, while your ears danced".....
beautiful description....
do you write or play an instrument?
I felt you would really like Dee Dee, sounds like a memorable nite...
have to check out Raul Midon 4 sure....

[breambob]

Very nice review, Sha. Thanks.
You express yourself very well, Sha. Always a joy to read your posts from "down here."

:)

[sophisticated sissy]

Lovely, Sha!:)

[ShaSha]

Very nice review, Sha. Thanks.
You express yourself very well, Sha. Always a joy to read your posts from "down here."

:)

Thanks, Bob. :o :)

[ShaSha]

wow Sha..."sobbing in the dark, heart aching, while your ears danced".....
beautiful description....
do you write or play an instrument?
I felt you would really like Dee Dee, sounds like a memorable nite...
have to check out Raul Midon 4 sure....

Thanks, Papa :)

I am kicking myself for skipping the chance to hear Dee Dee a few months ago in a small club a couple of alley's away from where I work. That won't happen again.

Ages ago, I was a band/orchestra nerd. Played snare drum in the marching band and bassoon in the orchestra. I've got a couple of bass guitars now...but I almost never play. Hmmm, ThreadHead Band?? :D

[ShaSha]

Lovely, Sha!:)

Thanks, Sissy. I wish that there was a recording available so that everyone could hear it....

[papafrog]

Thanks, Papa :)

I am kicking myself for skipping the chance to hear Dee Dee a few months ago in a small club a couple of alley's away from where I work. That won't happen again.

Ages ago, I was a band/orchestra nerd. Played snare drum in the marching band and bassoon in the orchestra. I've got a couple of bass guitars now...but I almost never play. Hmmm, ThreadHead Band?? :D

she played in a small club...wow....im hoping she plays jazzfest...
she played at kennedy center 2 months ago with her african ensemble,
i wish i had seen that.....
threadhead band 4 sure...there are plenty of musicians on this bored..

[Rossvegas]

Big Dave and I have the ice cream pails covered...