Terence Blanchard

“When you look at my own writing, you can see how much I’ve learned from Wayne Shorter,” jazz artist Terence Blanchard says. “He mastered writing compositions starting with a simple melody and then juxtaposing it against the harmonies that come from a different place to make it come alive in a different light.” Shorter left an indelible mark not only on Blanchard, but on the world. The sax musician’s performances and compositions with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers and Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet pushed Shorter to form Weather Report. In 2021, after much success and influence in his own musical career, Blanchard released Absence, a heartfelt living tribute to his artistic hero. Absence celebrates Shorter’s legacy and how it inspired Blanchard’s ever-evolving fusion of music and storytelling. With the bandleader’s passing in March 2023, Blanchard intends to continue honoring his mentor by performing this music and commemorating the elder artist’s impact on the world. For this concert, Blanchard assembles his internationally acclaimed electronic band, The E-Collective (Charles Altura on guitar; Taylor Eigsti on piano and synthesizers; Oscar Seaton on drums; and David “DJ” Ginyard on bass). Joining the jazz musicians will be the Grammy Award-winning genre-hybrid string ensemble Turtle Island Quartet (Naseem Alatrash on cello; David Balakrishnan and Gabriel Terracciano on violins; and Benjamin Von Gutzeit on viola). The musicians will perform arrangements by Shorter and original compositions by Blanchard and members of his band, including a specially crafted composition for the quartet. Blanchard is a two-time Oscar Award nominee, and a seven-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer. His collection of works includes works for the Metropolitan Opera and more than twenty film scores for director Spike Lee. He also is the new executive artistic director of SFJazz.