''Choices'' is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American trumpeter and composer. He started his career in 1982 as a member of the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, then The Jazz Messengers. He has composed more than forty film scores and performed ...

. The album was released on August 18, 2009 via

Concord Jazz Concord Jazz is a record company and label founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, the former owner of Jefferson Motors Lincoln Mercury dealership in Concord, California. The label was named after the city in the East San Francisco Bay area, and the j ...

and

Universal Music Group International Universal Music Group N.V. (often abbreviated as UMG and referred to as just Universal Music) is a Dutch– American multinational music corporation under Dutch law. UMG's corporate headquarters are located in Hilversum, Netherlands and its ...

labels.

Background

The idea for ''Choices'' was generated by conversations between Blanchard and

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he help ...

during their joint tour in Fall 2008. The album is a loose sequel to Blanchard's previous Grammy-winning 2007 record, ''

A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) ''A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)'' is a studio album recorded in 2007 by the Terence Blanchard Quintet. The album was originally released on by Blue Note Records. In 2008, Blanchard won a Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble ...

''. ''Choices'' centers on broader questions about

free will Free will is the capacity of agents to choose between different possible courses of action unimpeded. Free will is closely linked to the concepts of moral responsibility, praise, culpability, sin, and other judgements which apply only to actio ...

and

personal responsibility In philosophy, moral responsibility is the status of morally deserving praise, blame, reward, or punishment for an act or omission in accordance with one's moral obligations. Deciding what (if anything) counts as "morally obligatory" is a princi ...

. On several compositions the album features the voice of

Cornel West Cornel Ronald West (born June 2, 1953) is an American philosopher, political activist, social critic, actor, and public intellectual. The grandson of a Baptist minister, West focuses on the role of race, gender, and class in American society and ...

, a notable socialist philosopher, civil rights activist, critic, and teacher of both religion and African American studies at

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

. Blanchard substantially bases the album's title and its conceptual backstory on the West's discourse on the nature of choice and the kind of people we may choose to be.

Reception

Mike Hobart of ''

Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and published digitally that focuses on business and economic current affairs. Based in London, England, the paper is owned by a Japanese holding company, Nik ...

'' stated "The flowing post-modal jazz, bubbling rhythm section and fluent solos are great. Blanchard’s smooth-centred sound packs punch, pianist Fabian Almazan delivers pinpoint textures and bass and drums subtly complete the picture. Bilal adds low-key vocals and Lionel Loueke trademark guitar." Thom Jurek of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

commented "Choices is a musically expansive, challenging recording that engages its title's subject matter critically and liberally without beating the listener over the head with it. It should appeal not only to jazzheads but open-minded music fans of all stripes. This set has plenty of class and sophistication, but it also speculatively reflects musical and intellectual history and mystery too". Dan Ouellette of ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' wrote "the New Orleans-based trumpeter/composer embarks on a new, dramatic song cycle that plumbs the depths of personal and societal decision-making. In addition to his band, "Choices" features special guests: Lionel Loueke provides imaginative guitar parts, Dr. Cornel West delivers provocative spoken-word interludes, and vocalist Bilal sings on a pair of R&B beauties. Blanchard has never sounded better on trumpet-his most passionate playing appears on the samba-like "Journey," on which he supports Bilal, and the 12-minute lyrical sojourn "Winding Roads." Other standouts include the Bilal-sung "When Will You Call" and the upbeat "Robin's Choice." Robert Spellman of ''

Sunday Express The ''Daily Express'' is a national daily United Kingdom middle-market newspaper printed in tabloid format. Published in London, it is the flagship of Express Newspapers, owned by publisher Reach plc. It was first published as a broadsheet i ...

'' added "Blanchard, joined by his closest players, follows with plaintive, tumbling, free-flowing jams that cannot fail to engage the jazz listener".

Track listing

Personnel

Derrick Hodge Derrick Hodge (born July 5, 1979) is a composer, musical director, bandleader, producer bassist and advocate. To date he has been awarded two Grammys, named a Sundance Composer Fellow, received a Motif Award; one of world's highest honors for C ...

– acoustic bass, electric bass *

Kendrick Scott Kendrick Scott (born July 8, 1980 in Houston, Texas, United States) is an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. He is the founder of the record label World Culture Music. Biography Kendrick A.D. Scott was born and raised in Houston. ...

– drums, percussion *Chris Finney – assistant engineer *

Lionel Loueke Lionel Loueke (born 27 April 1973) is a guitarist and vocalist born in Benin. He moved to Ivory Coast in 1990 to study at the National Institute of Art. Biography Loueke grew up in what he has described as a family of poor intellectuals in the W ...

– guitar *Pat Sullivan – mastering *

Fabian Almazan Fabian Almazan (born April 16, 1984) is a jazz pianist and composer born in Havana, Cuba, and raised in Miami, Florida. Biography In addition to being a solo artist,NPR.orFabian Almazan Trio String Quartet Live at the Village Vanguard Retrieve ...

– piano *Robin Burgess, Frank Wolf – producer *Terence Blanchard – producer, trumpet, synthesizer *

Walter Smith III Walter Smith III (born September 24, 1980) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is the Chair of the Woodwind Department at the Berklee College of Music. In addition to performing with his own group, Smith is a member of the Ambrose ...

– saxophone

References

External links

* {{Authority control 2009 albums Sony Classical Records albums Terence Blanchard albums