Preview: Terence Blanchard @ The Kennedy Center
Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard (pictured right) is a friend to D.C. The New Orleans native chose Blues Alley as the spot to release his latest CD, A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina). Though he is a celebrated bandleader and performer, he has also been quietly making his mark in the film world as Spike Lee's chief musical collaborator. Tomorrow at 8 p.m., the Kennedy Center will host Terence Blanchard for what is sure to be a memorable evening of music. Along with his band, a chamber orchestra, and various guest artists, Blanchard will be performing his music from Lee's films. Lee was originally slated to host the concert, but is unable to do so because of film commitments. Therefore, none other than the great Bill Cosby will serve as master of ceremonies.
Blanchard's collaboration started with Lee when he served as a session musician for the director's earlier films. The partnership began with very humble beginnings during those recording sessions.
"It all started with Spike," said Blanchard. "One day during the Mo' Better Blues sessions I sat down at the piano and started playing something I was writing and he dug it. That was it."
Blanchard, who has studied composition since childhood, learned the art of orchestration through "trial and error." Working with Lee, a process that begins only after the footage is locked, poses its own set of challenges. "The hardest part of working with Spike is coming up with the themes," he said.
Describing the scoring process, Blanchard explained, "I'lI come up with eight to ten themes and he’ll assign them to differenct characters or situations in the film. There is a discussion as to sound and orchestration, and then he just leaves me on my own."
Photo from Blanchard's web site by Jenny Bagert
A Tale of God's Will, much of which served as the soundtrack to Lee's HBO documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts, was a departure from this process in that Blanchard generally separates his scoring duties and writing for his band. The themes for that film were written with a dual use in mind, one for the film and the other for the small group.
"This was a special situation," Blanchard declared. "I knew I would write the music in such a way as to play it with the group because I knew we wouldn’t be able to tour with the orchestra."
That uniqueness does not imply, however, that Blanchard's film work does not have an impact on his small group writing. "No matter how varied the music can be, you still have to stay in the context of one story," he said. "Musicians often tell multiple stories in hopes of telling one. The experience should be one story that‘s told maybe with some subplots."
Tomorrow night's concert will feature an impressive list of guest artists including vocalists Dee Dee Bridgewater, Kurt Elling and Raul Midón. The program will include music from films such as Bamboozled, Inside Man, Clockers, Malcolm X, Jungle Fever, 25th Hour, Mo’ Better Blues and When the Levees Broke. A photo presentation, shot on location by Spike Lee's brother David Lee, will accompany the music.
Tickets for The Movie Music of Spike Lee and Terence Blanchard, which takes place Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Kennedy Center, are available here. $20-$45