Ahead of his January 27 Santa Barbara appearance, composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard joins Air Time to talk about the Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial, a concert honoring two towering figures of 20th-century music in which he will be joined onstage by saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and a full band.
In this conversation, Blanchard speaks about the enduring influence of Miles and Coltrane, the responsibilities of interpretation and the creative dialogue between generations that continues to shape the music today.
🎧 Listen to the episode above or read the full transcript below.
About the Artist and Event
Terence Blanchard is a multiple Grammy Award–winning composer, trumpeter, and bandleader whose work spans jazz, opera and film. A longtime artistic collaborator of Spike Lee, Blanchard is widely recognized for expanding the expressive reach of contemporary jazz.
Miles Davis and John Coltrane Centennial takes place on Tuesday, January 27, at 7:30 p.m. at The Granada Theatre. Tickets and information are available at artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.
Charles Donelan
Good morning. Thank you, Terrence Blanchard, for being with me on UCSB Arts & Lectures Air Time. We are so looking forward to the concert that you’re going to bring us with Ravi Coltrane celebrating the centennial of Miles Davis and John Coltrane, and that’s on January 27 at the Granada Theater here in Santa Barbara. At what point did this anniversary, this centenary, register for you personally? When did you first realize that this was going to be a thing?
Terence Blanchard
Well, you know, people were talking about it early in the year, and I was actually working on some music for another project, and because I did an album called Flow, which was, I think, celebrating its 20th or 25th anniversary this year. So we had been playing that music, but once I found out about the Miles Davis thing, I was very intrigued by it, because it’d be beautiful to revisit that music, but not in a way that he did. I want to try to do something that’s totally different, you know, and totally within the style of what happens with the E-collective.
Charles Donelan
So I get the idea that this is not a recreation, or a reenactment. This is not about finding repertory that needs to be replayed. It’s about the future.
Terence Blanchard 1:49
It is. I mean, you know, the thing about all of those guys, first of all, how can you try to recreate anything? That’s number one. You know what I mean? That’s why I shied away from that as much as I could throughout my entire career. But the other thing too is that that’s not what those guys would want us to do. You know, I remember Wayne [Shorter] would always ask me, “So what do you have to say?” That was the thing, you know. So when I did the album for him. We try not to do things the same way that he did it. We did it the way we did it, in such a way I was respectful to him, but kind of fell within the framework of what we’ve been doing as a group. So I’m approaching this project in the same way. You know, frankly, I think it would be kind of disrespectful and intellectually lazy to just try to recreate what those guys have done. It’s not about that at all.
Charles Donelan
I was in Monterey several years ago now, and I heard you in a wonderful performance of [Miles Davis’] Sketches of Spain.
Terence Blanchard
Yeah, yeah. And that’s what I was going to tell you. Those were the two times, the few times that I got a chance to actually do those arrangements. You know, we did it there. We did it at the Hollywood Bowl. We did it in Detroit. We did it a couple other places. So that was one of the few times I got a chance to play those arrangements. Because I do love those arrangements, you know. And as a composer, I don’t have any steam in my game when it comes to stealing from the best.
Charles Donelan
It was a very special night– the outdoor setting of that beautiful arena there. And the music worked there.
Terence Blanchard
I love playing Monterey. I think it’s one of the greatest festivals, you know, in the world, and with one of the greatest fan bases in the world, you know.
Charles Donelan
But this, this is different. What I’m hearing is, this is a different approach. You’re taking responsibility for a legacy, yeah, in a way that feels like it has integrity. And I assume there’s some some risk involved in a project with this kind of the burden, the weight of these two figures.
Terence Blanchard
Well, I mean, you know, of course, there’s risk, because of the great musicians, you know what I mean, and anytime you’re paying homage to them, you know, there’s a lot to live up to, you know. But I think, you know, the best thing that we can do, you know, is, you know, man, just try to do the best we can to kind of pay homage to those guys, but do it in a way that’s kind of falls in line with what they’ve done. They’ve done, yeah, I really believe that if Miles were alive right now, he wouldn’t even, first of all, he may not even, you know, revisit that music. I don’t think he’d want to do it the same way he did it, for sure, right?
Charles Donelan
I mean, you have a personal connection. He’s somebody who acknowledged you early on, and he’s also somebody that you’ve examined his life in a lot of different ways, not just on the bandstand, but also in the recording studio, and even as a collaborator on a film that, in certain ways, reflects on his life. What did his career, what did his artistic legacy, teach you about risk, I’m talking about the adventure of music.
Terence Blanchard
You just said it–adventure, the adventure of music, trying to explore things, you know, not just accepting what is. I mean when I look at Miles Davis man, he was one of my heroes, because he came along at a time when you had Fats Navarro, Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie, Pops and a young Clifford Brown, you know. And he said, All of that’s fine, but, you know, dude, he went and found his own voice, man, and did his own thing and carved out a niche for himself based on what it was that he felt honestly about music. You know, when you look at the history of his music man, his legacy is amazing, because not only did he create new pathways for us–I’m thinking about “So What”–Trying to take away chord changes, trying to have a more open sound, along with all of the beautiful ballads that he’s done with the Gil Evans stuff, he was still a very forward thinking musician. You know, I’ve listened to Herbie Hancock talk about playing a show with Miles, and how he played the wrong chord, and when he played the wrong chord, he put his hands over his ears like, oh my god, I can’t believe I did that. And then he said, Miles played some notes that made the chord correct. You know what I mean? Yes. So I love that. Going back to what you originally said, I love the adventure of all of that, the what’s the word, the exploration of it all.
Charles Donelan
Yes, such an interesting person in terms of an example of leadership, because I think he was a tough band leader. I mean, you know what?
Terence Blanchard
No, no, no, yeah, I don’t know if he was tough in a way most people would think of being tough. No, okay, you know from when I talked to HERBIE, he never really gave us that impression. Now, he wanted you to stretch, he wanted you to explore. He wanted you to investigate and try things for sure, but in terms of being tough, no, you know, and that’s one of the things that Herbie does with us, man, he’s not a, Herbie is not a tough band leader, in a sense of, I need you to do this. No, no, no, no, no, no. Herbie is tough because what he plays is so challenging, right? You know, and so profound that it challenges you as a band member. And I would think Miles was doing the same thing with those guys, you know. I think that for him, he knew he had a bunch of young, really talented, forward thinking musicians, and he put them to the test by playing what he was playing on the bandstand every night, like Herbie. He said, Man, you know, they, they when they did what’s the album Live at the Plug Nickel. He said, they thought it was awful. Yeah, good, you know, before they actually heard the playback, right when they finished, because they said they wanted to do this thing called non-music, you know, where they were just going to go out and just try to not play anything remotely related to anything conventional. And they thought they had made a big mistake, and come to find out, they made one of the greatest albums of all time,
Charles Donelan
Right. Such a fascinating moment. I mean, I know the theme of this celebration is the centenary. It’s 100 years, but really, when you’re thinking about when these men were active. That’s, you know, more like 65 years ago, about, you know, that might be the heart of it, around 1959-1960 Yeah, think about where, where jazz was at that time, in terms of the culture. What are some of the things that come to mind, and how do you? Well, let’s just leave it right there.
Terence Blanchard
Well, I think, you know, dedication to the art form. You know, they weren’t becoming household names. You know, they weren’t getting paid all the money. And at the same time, the country itself just wasn’t recognizing their brilliance the way they should, and even with all of that, they still stuck in there with the music. So to me, it spoke to a level of dedication we don’t see much. We don’t have a level of dedication which we see much these days, like that, you know. And I’m always very grateful to them when I’m thinking about that. Because, man, they took the high road. They could have taken the low road and done some stuff, made money, but that wasn’t anything they were interested in. They were truly fascinated about music, how to advance the whole notion of playing these phrases against these chord changes, combining that with rhythm and trying to create something different and new and fresh. And it’s all because you love the music, and that’s that I’m picking up with Herbie. Now he’s about to turn 86, and he’s still stretching, he’s still exploring, and he’s still curious. You know, that is the big takeaway for me from all of this, is remaining curious throughout your career, for sure,
Charles Donelan
When you go on stage with Ravi, that’s a special kind of a relationship. I mean, you have a legacy relationship to the music. But I mean, he’s carrying the name.
Terence Blanchard
Well, the thing that I love about Ravi, yeah, the thing that I love about him is that, you know, his last name is Coltrane, but that doesn’t, that doesn’t really kind of come into play, so to speak. You know, when working with him as a musician, because he is his own man. He has his own sound, his own thing. And I love that about him. You know, I would embarrass man, because I, you know, I’m bad with titles, but there’s some of his albums, man that I just had on repeat, and I would work out to, you know, because I just love this guy’s approach to playing music. And then I saw him playing with an electric band. I don’t know if he’s recorded that band, but I saw them live, you know, in New York, and man, they were killing it. They were killing it. It was just a trio, but it was off the chain. And I really, really enjoyed listening to that, and was really inspired by it. So that’s one of the reasons why I love working with Ravi, because Ravi is not looking back at the past. That’s, you know, that was then. You know, this guy really loves playing music and has his own approach and has his own identity, and that’s the thing that I really love about him.
Charles Donelan
So you’ve been clear that this is not a repertory project. No, that you are going to take this music and use it as a way to focus on the future. Yes, what does honoring this music from a musical point of view mean in that respect?
Terence Blanchard
Well, like I said earlier, it has a lot to do with the individuals themselves. You know, I remember Stanley Turrentine told me something one time. He said, you know, in this business, it evolved to a point where, if somebody would see a young trumpet player, and they would say, oh, man, he sounds like Freddie Hubbard. That was a compliment. But when they were coming along, it wasn’t. It just meant that he had no ideas of his own, right? And as a matter of fact, I remember he said, you know, they went to go hear–he didn’t tell me the name–he said, but they want to go hear a saxophone player, a tenor player. And they said, man, he’s trying to play like Sonny Rollins, and they left. Think about that. So to me, that has to really be a part of the way we approach this music. It’s not about me trying to sound like Miles Davis or trying to play those arrangements. It’s about trying to show Miles the appreciation that I have for what he contributed to music and how it inspired me to kind of find my own path and my own sound. You
.
Charles Donelan
This project is part of a larger whole centennial celebration. A lot of it, I believe, is coming through your work with SF jazz. Do you want to reflect on that a little bit? How long have you been the artistic director there? And is this the first of your major projects, or one of several, how’s that?
Terence Blanchard
No, I’ve been there for about three years, and it’s one of several projects that we’ve been working on. I love the idea of being in SF Jazz because the industry itself has changed a great deal. The record industry has changed. Obviously, radio has definitely changed. I don’t know if young people even listen to the radio or find music on the radio. I think most of them find it through social media. So I look at there being some gaps in certain areas where it is crucial to help develop young talent. And as an arts organization, I’ve been telling my staff, I think it’s important for us to fill in some of those gaps. You know, that’s why we have a young program called Upswing, where we try to bring young people in who may not be known to the Bay Area, but we’re trying to introduce them to the Bay Area in terms of what it is that they’re doing and try to help them establish a relationship with our audience. We have the residential artistic directors program, RADS, if you will, where we bring people to SF Jazz and help them develop their own projects, and we’re going to change the format of it. Initially, the format was we were bringing people and having them do four different projects over four or five days. I want to change that. And I want to give them more time to work on one specific project, you know, because a rehearsal is really key in developing something new and giving them time to workshop it, just like I would do with my operas. I think it’s very important when helping people to develop new projects and create new material. And hopefully the things that we create and do at SF Jazz will have legs and and go on, and people will be able to tour these things. So we’re trying to be that incubator for creativity and fill in the gaps where we see fit, that the industry has some holes in.
Charles Donelan
For sure. And it sounds like you’ve kind of answered what would have been my next question, which is, how do you balance the curatorial and preservationist aspect of a center devoted to jazz, with the future, with what you’re trying to produce, what you’re trying to promote? And it sounds like the emphasis is very strongly in the direction of giving creative people space and time.
Terence Blanchard
Well, yeah, and, and we still want to honor, you know, all of our heroes. We just had Charles Lloyd, you know. And then for our gala, which will be in May, we’re going to honor George Benson, and we’re also going to do a segment where we’re going to honor the centennial of Miles and John Coltrane.
Charles Donelan
And do you feel like jazz organizations are finally, kind of finding a way to to move things forward and not just be an archival organization, but to be kind of a creative incubator,
Terence Blanchard
Oh, yeah. I mean, you know, our educational department has been doing great work for years, you know. And now, with the way that we’re going to restructure the RADS and do some other things, we want to bring some of those young people in and have them and use them when dealing with some of our heroes, we’re dealing with some of our well established artists, so we can create that synergy between the young and old musicians. Because, listen, man, I learned a lot hanging out with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, and Freddie Hubbard when we weren’t on the bandstand, when we were backstage, and they were telling me about their history, about what it is that they worked on. Those moments are like, really special to me. And I think I want to try to create those experiences for young musicians the best way we can at SF Jazz, and under the leadership that we have now with Gaby Armand, who’s our new CEO, she’s brilliant man, she’s smart. She gets it. She constantly talks about the mission, that we need to really be aware of. And couple that with the fact that we have a young staff that is eager to, like, really be involved with music. And the thing that I love about most of those people out there is they don’t look at the job as a stepping stone to something else. This is something that they really love and are really dedicated to.
Charles Donelan
Oh, that’s great to hear. Maybe you could talk a little bit about New Orleans and San Francisco and sort of this incredible, you know, country spanning work you do. I mean, you’re a New Yorker as well.
Terence Blanchard
Yeah, I lived in New York for about 15 years, but I’m still living in New Orleans. I go back and forth between New Orleans and LA, and then I still haven’t found a place in San Francisco yet, but we’re working on that as well. Listen, I love it because I get a chance to see major portions of our country, and I get a chance to experience people. How do I say this? I get a chance to experience real people, and not people that are being talked about on the news. You know, right? It’s a great experience going from San Francisco to New York and back to New Orleans, understanding that while there’s a lot of different things in terms of the culture of those various places, man, the one main thing is that we all want to be loved and respected. You know what I mean? That’s one that’s the common denominator. And it’s been great working in San Francisco because, man, let me tell you something too. San Francisco has always been the incubator for creativity. I feel there’s been a lot of innovation that has always come from San Francisco, and then with the technology world, having its inroads into that culture for a number of decades now, it’s still, I feel, one of the prime places where you see a lot of beautiful things going on. I can’t tell you about one project that we’re working on, but we’re working on this project where we’re going to bring music to a certain area of the city in San Francisco, and one of the guys who’s really spearheading the whole project is great at understanding what happens when you develop certain neighborhoods. So he’s trying to make sure that the locals maintain a certain type of ownership of property there. That’s something I’ve never heard of, never heard of that ever you know, but I love being a part of something like that that could set a precedent for how we could move forward in the future.
Charles Donelan
Oh, that’s great. And that’s a great answer, because it really connects with a lot of things that I know about you. I know about the way that you have contributed to the culture and the understanding of New Orleans, and understanding of the struggles that people go through there, but also the incredible creative community that exists there, yes, and this would be a whole other interview, but I’m just going to ask one question about about the incredible career that you’ve had now as an opera composer. What do you think Miles Davis or like John Coltrane would say if they knew about that? Think about John Coltrane. Think of it. If he could pull up to the Metropolitan Opera and see one of these things that you’ve done, or that Miles Davis could see an opera by not just a black man but by a trumpet player, and about a boxer, right? I would think this would blow their minds.
Terence Blanchard
It probably would. I think about what you say about the boxing part of it, because Miles probably was at the fight [that the opera Champion is about]. Yeah, yeah, but the thing that I think of is, I think of the Oliver Nelsons and the Benny Golsons, you know, people, composers, and even Duke Ellington, you know, who really wanted to expand their reach. It was one of the reasons why I worked so hard, because it wasn’t something that was missed on my part in terms of how important that opportunity was. I saw that William Grant Still had been rejected by them [the Metropolitan Opera] three times, you know, and he is one of our preeminent composers as well. So for me, having the opportunity was something that made us work, like 150% you know, we did it. We dotted every I, crossed every T twice to make sure that we can make something that people will be proud of. And having those like I said earlier, having the conversations with musicians backstage, talking to Benny Golson and about Oliver Nelson and all of the stuff that those guys went through when they were working in LA. And being put in a position where I was allowed to create something for the Met for the first time for an African American. It wasn’t just about the music, it was also about the changing of mindset, because one of the things that I kept saying was, actually two things that I kept saying were, you know, it’s a great honor, but I wasn’t the first African American that was qualified. There were other African Americans who were qualified, who should have had the opportunity. The other thing that I would say, too, is that I don’t want to be a token, you know, I have to be a turnkey in terms of opening the door for other people to have opportunities as well, women, people of other races. There’s a lot of stories to be told and a lot of cultures from which we can learn through that medium. So to me, man, you know, the sky’s the limit with the possibilities of doing interesting things.
Charles Donelan
You know, it’s so great. In researching this, I went on, you know, the Apple Music app, and I looked for you, and they do this thing, and supposedly it’s curated. It’s not just the algorithm, but they call them the Essentials of an artist. You have two! I thought it was a mistake, but it’s two different categories. You have a Jazz Essentials, and you have a Scoring/Composer Essentials, and they overlap a little bit, but they’re separate, complete, long, incredible careers.
Terence Blanchard
Thank you. The interesting thing, my grandson was over here yesterday. We’re watching football. Thank God the Saints won the game. Anyway. That’s a whole ‘nother interview, by the way. But, you know, he calls me G Pa, and he looked up at the Grammys, and he kept asking if those were for songs, because he’s starting to play trumpet now, and he’s nine years old. And I forgot that a couple of them were for the opera, for Fire Shut Up in My Bones and Champion. And when I saw that, I just felt a huge amount of gratitude towards Peter Gelb, the people at the Met, the entire staff, all of those singers, man and Yannick [Nezet-Seguin], with the orchestra, that orchestra is amazing, you know. And I told them, man, I said, Dude, you spoiled me. You spoiled me. Because I remember right in the middle of us rehearsing for Fire, you know, I had some shows with some other orchestras, man, and it just wasn’t the same. That orchestra is phenomenal.
Charles Donelan
That’s just so great that you’ve been able to, in your own way, step onto that stage and step into the movie studio, working with Spike and and just take this music places, and not just this music, but all music places where it maybe hadn’t really been before. When this whole Centennial thing is over when it’s 2027 I guess. Yeah, what are you hoping that lingers? What do you hope that sticks out of all this work they’re going to do? I know that I hear there’s some recording that’s going to be happening as well. Of some of these shows. Is that correct?
Terence Blanchard
Well, yeah, there’s a lot of things going on right now, some of which I can’t talk about, but it’s okay, you know, there’s a there’s a lot of interesting projects that are happening right now as we speak, you know, but for me, I really hope that the centennial of these guys really inspires a lot of young musicians to really dig deep, you know, and find some new pathways. You know, because they’re out there, they exist. They exist. We don’t have a lack of talent problem in the world of jazz. That is not the problem. There’s some great musicians out there doing great work, man. And I’m inspired and I’m an admirer of a lot of them, you know. So for me, I think a year of going through this, it’s going to yield us some great, great opportunities in 27 that’s the way it is.
Charles Donelan
I love it. The young musicians that you know maybe this is a way for them to begin to create their own revolutions, to redefine the music in some way that you and I don’t even know, and we’re both around to see that. Yeah, alright, I’m going to, I’m going to hit you with one more. I’m going to let you go. I know you’ve got other things to do, but this has been fantastic. I appreciate you so much. All this opportunity you’re getting to do things that maybe I don’t know, I would assume that you may not even have dreamed of. But what, what are you still hungry for? What are the things that make you want to keep learning and like what are you drawn to right now to progress in your own career?
Terence Blanchard
I’m glad you asked me that question, because, you know, it goes back to what I was talking about earlier, about Miles and Trane. You’re always trying to perfect your craft. You’re always trying to write the perfect melody with the perfect harmony and rhythm. And when it comes to stuff, writing for the E collective, I’m hearing differently now, and I’m really curious about what it is that can happen if we put certain musical ideas together with the opera stuff. Man, I’ve done two operas, and every time I hear them, I go, Okay, I’m learning more about writing for voice. If I get another opportunity, I know that I want to elevate. Whatever it is that I’m doing, even in that world and in the film world, you know, the film world itself has just been an amazing experience to have, because I get a chance to step outside of all of those things and create something that helps other people tell stories, and that, in itself, is a muscle that most people don’t get a chance to develop. And I’m very grateful for all of those things. And the one thing that I do miss now that I have my job at SF Jazz is that I miss teaching. I don’t get a chance to teach as much as I used to, because, man, it’s an amazing feeling to watch the light bulb go off in a young musician’s eyes. You know, when you show them some things and give them the tools to help them to develop their sound and their style, that, to me, is like, I love doing that. I love being a part of that, you know? And then I love experiencing the fruit from that, when you see what these guys are doing.
Charles Donelan
Oh, that’s a great answer. And let me assure you that you’re teaching all of us with what you’re doing right now, and you will be teaching us when you appear here in Santa Barbara at the beautiful Granada Theater in January.
Terence Blanchard
It’s a good one.
Charles Donelan
Thank you so much, Terence Blanchard, great talking with you.
Terence Blanchard
Thanks, Charles. I really appreciate it, man. Okay, take care. Bye.
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