Terence Blanchard E-Collective & Turtle Island Quartet
Terence Blanchard E-Collective: Terence Blanchard trumpet, Fabian Almazan piano, Charles Altura guitar, David Ginyard bass, Oscar Seaton drums
Turtle Island String Quartet: David Balakrishnan violin, Gabriel Terracciano violin, Benjamin von Gutzeit viola, Naseem Alatrash cello
As versatile and colorful as the legendary jazz composer and saxophonist Wayne Shorter himself is the ensemble of Terence Blanchard that pays tribute to this jazz innovator. From saxophonist with Miles Davis to fusion pioneer in Weather Report: Shorter’s chameleonlike character inspired the trumpeter to combine his own band with the Turtle Island String Quartet. On the album Absence, released by Blue Note, they mix new compositions with work by their great example.
Terence Blanchard is one of the great jazz trumpeters of today. The six-time Grammy winner from New York learned his chops alongside his childhood friend Wynton Marsalis. His work as a composer cannot be ignored, for example for the films of Spike Lee. Since 1985, the classically trained players of the Turtle Island String Quartet have distinguished themselves playing hybrid music.