Magnetic (Terence Blanchard album)

Thomas Conrad of JazzTimes wrote "The 10 tracks, all originals by band members, unfold as varied, often-startling narratives. There are continuous episodic transitions, viewpoints shifting within the ensemble, foregrounds becoming backgrounds, unisons becoming counterpoint and counterpoint becoming, organically, solos. Blanchard’s trumpet eruptions on pieces like Almazan’s “Pet Step Sitter’s Theme Song” and Winston’s “Time to Spare” are ferocious yet technically exact, and that is before he turns himself into a trumpet orchestra with electronics. (Blanchard’s swirling “Hallucinations” is an exemplary aesthetic application of digital technology.) Coltrane’s soprano saxophone swoops into Blanchard’s “Don’t Run” like ecstasy unleashed. Winston’s concise statements are so integral to each tune that they feel less like solos than meticulous personal clarifications. Almazan knocks you down with brute force, touches your heart with lyricism and dizzies your brain with intricacy, all in the first minute of his five-minute piano epic, “Comet.” Halfway through 2013, here is a clear candidate for Record of the Year."[11]

Chris Barton of Los Angeles Times commented "...Blanchard is said to be inspired by a recent exploration of Buddhism. His journey in "Magnetic" may take many turns, but it's worth sticking with".[7] Geraldine Wyckoff of Offbeat added "Terence Blanchard brilliantly continues his life-long exploration of jazz on his latest release. As one would expect of a musician of his caliber, broad experience, talent and passion, the trumpeter, composer and arranger brings his all to every work. .. Magnetic' is serious jazz music that through its spirit and the artists’ vivid execution is able to instigate a smile and even a laugh."[12]

Band

• Terence Blanchard – trumpet
• Fabian Almazan-piano
• Ron Carter – bass(tracks 1 & 3)
• Joshua Crumbly – bass
• Kendrick Scott-drums
• Lionel Loueke – guitar(tracks 4, 5, & 9)
• Ravi Coltrane – tenor saxophone(tracks 3 & 4)
• Brice Winston – tenor saxophone

Production

• Hayden Miller – art direction, design
• Frank Wolf – engineer, co-producer
• Robin Burgess – management, producer
• Gavin Lurssen – mastering
• Nitin Vadukul – photographer

• Official website