HE scores
He spearheaded the New Orleans jazz renaissance and he scores Spike Lee's films. Now,
5 coming to Glasgow to blow his trumpet and talk about film. Words: Miles Fielder
TERENCE BLANCHARD IS COMING to Scotland for the Glasgow Jazz Festival, but he's not just going to be blowing his own trumpet. He’ll also be talking about jazz in films at the Glasgow Film Theatre. And about time too; jazz and film have a long history together.
We all have our favourites. There are the biographical films such as Young Man With A Horn, Round Midnight and Bird: the racey dramas of Pete Kelly's Blues. The Man With The Golden Arm and Sweet Smell 0f Success: and the documentaries like Jazz ()n A Summer 's Day, Let’s Get Lost and A Great Day In Harlem. in which the whole gang — from Gillespie to Basie. Monk to Rollins — gathered for one fantastic photograph.
Blanchard knows his stuff: he’s composed a number of film soundtracks. taking time out over the last decade from playing, touring and recording studio albums. In fact. Blanchard has merged his dual careers with his most recent album. Jazz In Film. which incorporates tributes to. among others. Duke Ellington’s score for Anatomy OfA Murder, Quincy Jones‘ The Pawnbroker, Alex North's A Streetcar Named Desire and Jerry Goldsmith's Chinatown.
Following his Jazz In Film talk at the GFT on Thursday 6 July, Blanchard will introduce his score for old collaborator Spike Lee’s most recent film. Summer ()fSam (buy a
Top to bottom:
Mo‘ Better Blues. Bird. Summer Of Sam.
Eve's Bayou
GLENMORANBIE manor: JAZZ FESTIVAL
ticket for that film and you’ll get £2 off the price of admission to his concert that night). Later in the month, the GFT screens A Streetcar Named Desire. Chinatown and Eve ’3 Bayou, which Blanchard scored. Meanwhile, at the Jazz Festival Blanchard will be showcasing material from his new album.
Jubilant, a - - - - celebration of Jazz mt'BIC'am playmg traditional In a Clllb Terence Blanchard
negro spirituals. Blanchard will be joined on stage by New Orleans vocalist Phillip Manuel as well as Mark Shim (saxophone), Edward Simon (piano), David Pulphus (bass) and Troy Davis (drums). A native of New Orleans himself (he was born there in 1962), Blanchard studied at the prestigious Center Of Creative Arts with Wynton Marsalis and has emerged as part of the city‘s jazz renaissance. Blanchard’s blowing has been compared to Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown and early Miles Davis. and he is recognised to be carrying the torch for a succession of trumpet/comet greats from his home city: Charles Bolden. Freddie Keppard, Joe Oliver, Louis Armstrong. Henry Allen and, more recently, Marsalis. It‘s Blanchard’s replacement of Marsalis in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers that’s widely considered to be the catalyst
'Nothing can beat being
Blanchard brings his love of film and music together
for the New Orleans renaissance.
Since that time, Blanchard has fashioned a whole new career for himself composing film soundtracks. That began back in 1988 with School Daze on which he played a solo for Spike Lee. He’s since played for Lee on Do The Right Thing and Mo ' Better Blues and has scored six soundtracks for the director: Jungle Fever, Malcolm X. Crooklyn. C lockers, Get On The Bus. Four Little Girls and Summer Of Sam. Of his combination of jazz and orchestral sounds for film Blanchard has said: ‘It’s a different discipline which allows you to be creative in a different form.’
In the end though, blowing his own trumpet is Blanchard‘s first love. ‘Nothing can beat being a jazz musician. playing in a club. playing a concert,’ he says. ‘When I stood next to Sonny Rollins at Carnegie Hall and listened to him play, that was it for me.~
Terence Blanchard plays the Old Fruitmarket, Thu 6 Jul, 10.30pm; Blanchard's Jazz In Film talk and Summer Of Sam screening is at the Glasgow Film Theatre. Thu 6 Jul, 6pm; the GFT screens Chinatown, Thu 13 Jul, A Streetcar Named Desire, Thu 20 Jul and Eve's Bayou, Thu 27 Jul.
22 Jun—6 Jul 2000 THE “ST 17