Terence Blanchard on the intersections of music and social justice

October 25, 2019 3:12 PM

Terence Blanchard has been a well-known figure since the 1980s. — Terence Blanchard has been a well-known figure on the jazz scene since the 1980s. In addition to producing dozens of albums, he has also composed the soundtracks of all of Spike Lee’s movies since the early 1990s, as well as many others. He says Minneapolis is a great jazz town with educated audiences.
Courtesy of Muse Media

New Orleans-born jazz trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard is much more than a musician.

Blanchard uses his craft to create conversations around issues of social justice.

He released an album titled “Breathless” – named in remembrance of Eric Garner’s last words, “I can’t breathe.”

He recorded another album in Minneapolis, Cleveland and Dallas, three cities where encounters with police and African Americans ended in shooting deaths.

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And on Saturday, he will perform “Caravan: A Revolution on the Road” at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts.

He joined MPR News host Angela Davis from the Ordway to talk about “Breathless,” recording “Live” and his new performance “Revolution on the Road.”

Use the audio player above to listen to the segment.

Subscribe to the MPR News with Angela Davis podcast on: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify or RSS.

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