The Quarantined Jazz Voyager

As cities begin to open back up I am remaining vigilant in my social distancing and trust you are doing the same. Wary of large groups or crowded public transportation, I am staying to my schedule of grocery, doctor visits, home.

I’ve selected Jazz in Film, a studio album by trumpeter Terence Blanchard released on March 2, 1999 on Sony Records. The recording was split into two sessions, the first on March 17~18, 1998 at Signet Soundelux in Los Angeles, Californiaand the second on April 7, 1998 at Clinton Recording Studios, Studio B, New York City.

The album was meant to be a portrait of jazz in cinema history, a way to chronicle the evolution of jazz score from the late 1940s to present day. It featured highly influential themes from classics like Anatomy of a Murder, Taxi Driver and seminal noir The Man With the Golden Arm. Blanchard has carved out a little space for himself, revisiting one of his compositions written for Spike Lee’s Clockers.

The album features an all-star lineup backed by a string orchestra arranged by Blanchard. Steven Mercurio and J.A.C. Redford were the conductors for the sessions.

Track Listing | 68:19
  1. A Streetcar Named Desire (Alex North) ~ 7:55
  2. Chinatown (Jerry Goldsmith) ~ 8:23
  3. The Subterraneans (André Previn) ~ 9:08
  4. Anatomy of a Murder (Duke Ellingtn) ~ 8:25
  5. The Pawnbroker (Quincy Jones) ~ 7:02
  6. Taxi Driver (Bernard Herrmann) ~ 7:12
  7. Degas’ Racing World (Ellington) ~ 7:57
  8. Man With The Golden Arm (Elmer Bernstein) ~ 4:13
  9. Clockers (Terence Blanchard) ~ 8:01
Tracks 2, 3, 6, 7, 8 & 9 recorded on March 17–18, 1998; Tracks 1, 4 & 5 on April 7, 1998. Personnel
  • Terence Blanchard – trumpet, arranger
  • Joe Henderson – tenor saxophone (3, 6, 7, 8, 9)
  • Steve Turre – trombone (1, 4, 8)
  • Donald Harrison – alto sax (1, 4, 5)
  • Kenny Kirkland – piano
  • Reginald Veal – bass
  • Carl Allen – drums

CALIFORNIA JAZZ FOUNDATION

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