PARADISE JAZZ SERIES WRAPS UP SEASON WITH TERENCE BLANCHARD WSG QUIANA LYNELL & LEDISI PERFORMING SCORES FROM SPIKE LEE'S FILMS

Terence Blanchard

Sunday afternoon at Orchestra Hall in midtown Detroit the Paradise Jazz Series wrapped up its 2018-2019 jazz season with, in my estimation, the best concert in recent memory. The concert best described as a two-hour extravaganza captained by Grammy-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard, featuring music Blanchard scored for Spike Lee’s films “Jungle Fever,” “Malcolm X,” “Clockers” “25^th Hour, “Miracle at St. Anna,” “When the Levees Broke,” and “BlacKKKlansman.  Blanchard was backed by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra conducted by Damon Gupton and Blanchard's group the E-Collective with special guest vocalists Quiana Lynell and Ledisi. The concert started with two cuts from “Jungle Fever” “Make Sure You’re Sure, "which featured Lynell, and “These Three Words,” which featured Ledisi. Her version would have given its author Stevie Wonder goosebumps. Inarguably, Lynell and Ledisi who is more of a household name in neo-soul and R&B circles were the showstoppers the first half of the concert. Ledisi possesses the kind of vocal range that would fit comfortably in any genre she desires to undertake. And Lynell from the initial note she belted Sunday afternoon proved she was born to sing jazz. Don’t be surprised if decades from now she’s discussed with the same reverence greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn are talked about. Takes a lot of talent to win over Detroit’s discriminating jazz fans. Lynell had the goods. There was plenty of awe-inspired moments attendees won’t forget anytime soon. The vocalists garnered the most ovations. In fact, I don’t have enough fingers or toes to count the total ovations. The vocalists singing was so touching and stirring it would’ve made the toughest critics weep. Lynell is a newcomer to the jazz fans who frequent the Paradise Jazz Series, but she won them over with an angelic voice the covered you like a warm sweater. The first have of the concert was dominated by Lynell and Ledisi, and the concert could have ended there with the audience confident they received their money’s worth. The second half of the concert, however, the emphasis was on Blanchard and the DSO. The most breathtaking moments were them pouring their souls into “Levees,” “Funeral Dirge,” and “Dear Mom” music from Lee’s documentary “When the Levees Broke.” I’ll bet a week’s salary there wasn’t a dry eye in the building at the completion of those compositions. And Blanchard offered the finest trumpeting I ever experienced from him in the many years I’ve been a fan of his work, and the numerous times he’s performed in Detroit.  He seemed to have channeled the spirit and pain of every individual affected by Hurricane Katrina. This was a meticulously executed performance that on the surface seemed overblown with the inclusion of a symphony orchestra and Blanchard’s group, but all the parts snapped together nicely with Blanchard captaining the ship. What a terrific way to end a stellar season of jazz music.