Terence Blanchard Nominated for Best Improvised Jazz Solo at 52nd Grammy Awards

TERENCE BLANCHARD NOMINATED FOR BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO AT THE UPCOMING 52ND GRAMMY AWARDS

Blanchard’s soundtrack composition for Cadillac Records also nominated, for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media

Los Angeles–Three-time Grammy Award-winning composer and world-renowned trumpet player Terence Blanchard’s recording, Dancin’ 4 Chicken, has been nominated for the Best Improvised Jazz Solo Grammy.  The track was featured on Jeff “Tain” Watts’ album, Watts.  Additionally, Blanchard composed the original music for the soundtrack for the feature film Cadillac Records, which was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media.  The 52nd annual Grammy Awards will be presented in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 31, 2010.

Currently signed to Concord Music Group, Terence Blanchard and his band have just finished a world tour in support of his critically-acclaimed new CD, Choices, featuring guest artists Bilal, Lionel Loueke and author/educator/political activist Dr. Cornel West.  Earlier this year Blanchard took home the 2009 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Solo with Be-Bop, a track from Live at the 2007 Monterey Jazz Festival, and in 2008 received a Grammy for his CD,  A Tale Of God’s Will (A Requiem For Katrina).  Blanchard also performed live on the 2009 Grammy Awards broadcast with Lil’ Wayne, Robin Thicke and Allen Toussiant.

As a film composer, Blanchard has more than 50 scores to his credit,including contributions to the upcoming Walt Disney motion picture The Princess And The Frog, opening nationwide December 11th (Blanchard is also the “trumpet voice” of Louis the alligator in the film).  Cadillac Records is the feature film based on the story of Chess Records, the label in the1950s that was home to Chuck Berry, Etta James, Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. The film was released Sony’s Tristar Pictures, starring Beyoncé Knowles, Oscar®  Additional films that Terence has written the music for include the Kasi Lemmons’ films Eve’s Bayou and Talk to Me, Oprah Winfrey’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, Tim Story’s Barbershop and Ron Shelton’s Dark Blue. winner Adrien Brody,  Jeffrey Wright and Mos Def.

As Artistic Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, which he was instrumental in relocating from Los Angeles to New Orleans,Blanchard works with students in the areas of artistic development,arranging, composition, career counseling, and concert programming. He also participates in master classes around the world as well as local community outreach activities in his beloved hometown of New Orleans. 

                                                              http://www.terenceblanchard.com