DESCRIPTION:
Terence Blanchard's "Levees" was originally part of the musical score for Spike Lee's documentary, "When The Levees Broke" (2006). Blanchard, a native of New Orleans, included "Levees" in his Grammy-winning album of the following year, "A Tale Of God's Will," (2007), a requiem for Katrina. Blanchard's quintet includes himself on trumpet, Aaron Parks (later Fabian Almazan) on piano, Brice Winston on tenor sax, Derrick Hodge on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums. The album features a forty-piece orchestra. In describing the track in this video, William Boerst writes, "'Levees' might be depicting a time of peace before the havoc of Katrina hits. Ironically, the title foreshadows a major cause behind the Katrina catastrophe. The piece begins with long, haunting notes by strings. Then the bass picks up with one repeated note, a premonition of something to come. Blanchard enters with his plaintive melody as lower brass and piano accent that single note. A middle string interlude signals the arrival of the storm. At the end Blanchard's trumpet cries, evoking people on porches and roofs as they plead for help. Both in the middle and at the end, Blanchard wails, an emotive force unto itself." Blanchard has a new album out (2010) called "Choices." Terence lives in New Orleans with his wife and children. DL

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