2015 · Album
Breathless
Recorded 2015 · Blue Note Records · Produced by Terence Blanchard
Blanchard's Electric Fire in Breathless
Terence Blanchard's trumpet fires over grooves that sound more like jazz-funk than the jazz he is known for.
The album that stands out most on Breathless is the work of synthesist Fabian Almazan, whose keyboard textures give the record its character. Rather than sitting in the background, his electronic colors set the mood for much of the album, and they are what separates this session from the acoustic quintets Blanchard usually leads. Almazan's parts lean on warm, rounded tones and repeating figures, which lets Blanchard's trumpet cut through with real bite.
The music is built on infectious grooves. Blanchard plays with plenty of heat, and the band lays down steady, funky rhythms, with Oscar Seaton keeping things moving on drums and Donald Ramsey anchoring the low end. Charles Altura adds guitar lines that fit the electric framework. It is a fairly direct record. It is not especially adventurous, and some tracks lean on repetition more than they need to, but the playing is tight and the energy stays high. The title track and "Soldiers", the album's single, show the band at its most focused.
As a place in Blanchard's catalog, Breathless is a fun detour rather than a peak. Critics were mixed. The Guardian and The Irish Times both gave it 3 out of 5, and Cormac Larkin of The Irish Times noted echoes of electric Miles Davis in the sound. JazzTimes critic Bill Beuttler wrote that it may not be jazz as we know it but is soulful and worth meeting on its own terms. That is a fair way to hear it. If you already know Blanchard's acoustic work, this one is an interesting side road, and it works best for listeners who enjoy jazz-funk.
Who's playing
Donald Ramseybass
Charles Alturaguitar
Terence Blanchardtrumpet
Fabian Almazansynthesizer
Oscar Seatondrums
Where next?
More by Terence Blanchard
All 23 albums →
