Terence Blanchard & Ravi Coltrane

Grammy Award-winning trumpeter Terence Blanchard teams up with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane for a special celebration honoring the centennials of jazz icons Miles Davis and John Coltrane. This compelling collaboration spotlights the legendary partnership between Davis and Coltrane in the "First Great Quintet" from the mid-1950s, which produced the landmark Prestige releases Cookin', Relaxin', Workin', and Steamin', plus Columbia classics like Milestones and Kind of Blue.

Blanchard brings his electric-fusion sensibility with his E-Collective band, featuring guitarist Charles Altura, keyboardist Julian Pollack, bassist David Ginyard Jr., and drummer Oscar Seaton. Recent concert reviews describe Blanchard as a "master sonic storyteller" whose solos feature "impactful, passionate high notes, blues throughlines, and a rich, potent tone." The E-Collective operates in "a distinctly electric and stylistically hybrid space," with thick harmonic layers from Altura's guitar and Ginyard's electric bass, anchored by Seaton's rhythmic versatility that ranges from funk to fusion.

Ravi Coltrane, son of the legendary John Coltrane, brings his own distinctive voice that extends "far beyond the shadow of his iconic name." His expansive aesthetic was shaped by early experiences with drummer Elvin Jones' Jazz Machine and Steve Coleman's M-Base movement. Concert reports note how he navigates the band's amplified terrain "with poise, carving out lines that felt both grounded and exploratory."

While the collaboration centers on honoring Miles Davis's electric period—with pieces like "Flamenco Sketches," "All Blues," and "Two Bass Hit" getting contemporary reinterpretations—this isn't a nostalgia act. As Blanchard explains in performance accounts: "My elders always told me to say something of my own and not just do what they had done." Expect extended forms that give each musician room to stretch and assert their individual voice, with the band reshaping jazz standards through a decidedly modern lens.