Blanchard, Terence / Choices
Album: Choices   Collection:Jazz
Artist:Blanchard, Terence   Added:Oct 2009
Label:Concord Music Group, Inc.  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2009-10-04 Pull Date: 2009-12-06 Charts: Jazz
Week Ending: Nov 15 Nov 1 Oct 18 Oct 11
Airplays: 1 1 2 1

Recent Airplay
1. Jun 01, 2017: No Cover, No Minimum
Byus
4. Oct 17, 2009: Music Casserole
A New World (Created Inside The Walls Of Imagination), A New Note
2. Nov 13, 2009: No Cover, No Minimum
H.U.Gs (Historically Underrepresented Groups)
5. Oct 16, 2009: No Cover, No Minimum
A New World (Created Inside The Walls Of Imagination)
3. Oct 30, 2009: No Cover, No Minimum, No Chit-Chat
Him Or Me
6. Oct 09, 2009: No Cover, No Minimum
Him Or Me

Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2009-10-04
TERENCE BLANCHARD GROUP: Choices
Concord Jazz, 2009

MODERN BOP – There are two strands interwoven on this disc: Blanchard’s dusky, cinematic, often stirring jazz sound; and spoken word by philosopher/black studies professor Dr. Cornel West, musing on the choices that make us who we are. It’s basically a suite, with all the parts fitting together. West is fascinating and the jazz is strong. But vocal tracks with smooth-soul singer Bilal (4, 11) don’t grab me.

Terence Blanchard - trumpet
Walter Smith III - saxophone
Lionel Loueke - guitar
Fabian Almazan - piano
Derrick Hodge - bass
Kendrick Scott - drums
Dr. Cornel West - spoken word
Bilal - vocals

* * * * | Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12-13

1. 6:46 – Cornel West intro, then catchy, resolute theme; mellows as it goes
2. 0:54 – Nice spoken bit about Beethoven and philosophy. Deep!
3. 3:46 – soft, delicate ballad: sweet bass solo… Cornel West drifts in and out
4. 6:01 – Bilal vocal: soulful and drifting with the breeze; nice trumpet fantasy
5. 7:11 – starts slow, builds up: lonely trumpet, sweet piano… aching, stirring
6. 0:41 – Cornel West compares the academic life to jazz
7. 4:20 – sneaky bop, glides below the radar, solos have a bit of a bounce
8. 6:09 – Cornel West on choices; slow but firm tune, puffs of melody
9. 6:30 – serious sound, nice rhythmic flow with some tricky twists
10. 12:18 – West on religion and courage, bookending a deep, thoughtful sway with intriguing solos
11. 4:26 – soul ballad: smooth vocal, trumpet dances around him
12. 0:55 – Cornel West on civil rights in the age of Obama. Goes with #13…
13. 5:16 – modern-funky: serious groove with a New Orleans/fusion vibe
14. 6:05 – soaring, optimistic: rises above troubles and floats away
15. 2:19 – quiet but busy, stirring horns & fragments of Cornel West’s voice

[ Fo ] 10/04/09

Track Listing
1. Byus   8. Choices
2. Beethoven   9. H.U.Gs (Historically Underrepresented Groups)
3. D's Choice   10. Winding Roads
4. Journey   11. When Will You Call
5. Hacia Del Aire   12. A New Note
6. Jazz Man In The World Of Ideas   13. A New World (Created Inside The Walls Of Imagination)
7. Him Or Me   14. Touched By An Angel
  15. Robin's Choice