[TR24][OF] Terence Blanchard featuring The E-Collective - Live - 2018 (Fusion, Crossover Jazz)

USA Fellow and five-time Grammy-winning trumpeter/composer Terence Blanchard has been a consistent artistic force for making powerful musical statements concerning painful American tragedies – past and present. With his band The E-Collective he addresses the staggering cyclical epidemic of gun violence in America with his new album "Live" - 7 powerful songs recorded in concert that both reflect the bitter frustration of the conscious masses while also providing a balm of emotional healing. With a title that carries a pointed double meaning, the album is an impassioned continuation of the band’s GRAMMY-nominated 2015 studio recording, "Breathless"…
The music of Live was symbolically culled from concerts performed at venues in three communities that have experienced escalating conflicts between law enforcement and African American citizens: The Dakota in Minneapolis (near where Philando Castile was pulled over and shot by a cop on July 6, 2016); The Bop Stop in Cleveland (near where 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by police on November 22, 2014); and the Wyly Theatre in Dallas (near where police officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael Smith, Brent Thompson and Patricio Zamarripa were assassinated while on duty covering a peaceful Black Lives Matter protest on July 7-8, 2016). The E-Collective’s Live project condemns gun violence of all manner whether against profiled citizens of color or targeted members of law enforcement.
Trumpeter Terence Blanchard's 2018 concert album, Live, features his electric ensemble the E-Collective playing a series of shows in cities where there have been well-publicized deaths due to gun violence. Conceived as a way for Blanchard to express his support for these communities, and as a possible catharsis, the concerts in Cleveland, Dallas, and St. Paul have a direct, purposeful feeling. The underlying message is serious, imbued with a sense of pain and loss. There's also a palpable sense of anger expressed here, especially in Blanchard's often ferocious trumpet solos. Nonetheless, the music is as vibrant, expressive, and forward-reaching as Blanchard's previous recordings with the E-Collective, including 2013's Magnetic and 2015's Breathless. Joining him are his E-Collective bandmates guitarist Charles Altura, bassist David Ginyard, Jr., keyboardist Fabian Almazan, and drummer Oscar Seaton. Together, they play an expansive brand of jazz fusion, influenced by the '70s work of artists like Miles Davis, Larry Coryell, Chick Corea, and others. However, rather than making throwback grooves, Blanchard keeps his ear attuned to modern sounds, like electronic DJ music, hip-hop, and contemporary classical composition, and weaves all of these influences together. It's a sound especially evident on the frenetic bop-tinged "Can Anyone Hear Me," in which Blanchard surfs a gargantuan jungle-electro beat, spitting densely constructed, computer-soaked trumpet lines like a mad-eyed robot. Similarly, he sinks into the slow-burn funk of "Hannibal," his effects-laden trumpet a piercing, multi-voiced cry offset by Almazan's sophisticated acoustic piano lines. Elsewhere, "Unchanged" is a far-eyed, flamenco-tinged piece, and "Soldiers" is an all-out onslaught of fuzz-toned fusion with Blanchard diving into the fray, his trumpet a sparkle of digital squelch. There are also tender moments, like the searing ballad "Dear Jimi," which opens with a soulful, George Duke-esque synth solo from Almazan and an equally intense guitar improv from Altura. While Blanchard's warm gravitas grounds all of the tracks on Live, he remains a generous leader, willing to let his bandmates capture much of the spotlight. His generosity of spirit, both musically and emotionally, and message of hope and solidarity toward his audiences make Live a truly heartfelt experience.