Choices is Blanchard’s debut recording on the Concord label. It features his longtime cohorts, pianist Fabian Almazan, Derrick Hodge on bass, drummer Kendrick Scott, and Lionel Loueke on guitar. Saxophonist Walter Smith III joins the band here as well. In addition there are spoken word readings by intellectual, author, philosopher, and activist, social philosopher, critic and professor of African American studies Dr. Cornel West, and vocals by neo-soul singer Bilal. The album was recorded in Blanchard’s hometown of New Orleans at the Ogden Museum of Art. It’s a meld of speculative post-bop, experimental yet accessible song forms, and jazz-initiated atmospheres.
Bilal, Vocals
Derrick Hodges, Bass
Dr, Cornel West, Spoken Word
Fabian Almazan, Piano
Kendrick Scott, Drums, Percussion
Lionel Loueke, Guitar
Terence Blanchard, Trumpet, Composer
Walter Smith III, Saxophone
| 1. | “Byus” | 6:47 |
| 2. | “Beethoven” | 0:54 |
| 3. | “D’s Choice” | 3:47 |
| 4. | “Journey” | 6:02 |
| 5. | “Hacia del Aire” | 7:11 |
| 6. | “Jazz Man in the World of Ideas” | 0:40 |
| 7. | “Him or Me” | 4:21 |
| 8. | “Choices” | 6:10 |
| 9. | “Hugs” (Historically Underrepresented Groups) | 6:31 |
| 10. | “Winding Roads” | 12:19 |
| 11. | “When Will You Call” | 4:27 |
| 12. | “A New Note Angel” | 0:55 |
| 13. | “A New World” (Created Inside the Walls of Imagination) | 5:17 |
| 14. | “Touched by an Angel” | 6:05 |
| 15. | “Robin’s Choice” | 2:19 |
“Languid ballads abound on the album, but there are upbeat, highly danceable interludes, as well. West African guitar phenomenon Lionel Loueke sits in on a few tracks, and adds a funky, polyrhythmic feel to “A New World,” proving that Blanchard can stretch into cousinly genres without sounding like he’s speaking down to his audience. After all, jazz is a feel, not a jail.” David Was, NPR
“When Blanchard and cronies settle into a groove, they make all the right choices. “Hugs (Historically Underrepresented Groups),” authored by Almazan, sees the pianist and trumpeter vacillating between sweet/smooth and utterly ferocious, the piece shifting to another level of intensity altogether when the entire crew opens up. Smith’s “Him or Me,” a showcase for the saxophonist, gives the rhythm section its most testing workout and Loueke his most transcendent solo. And Hodge’s “Winding Roads,” Choices‘ longest track, is also its most panoramic, subtly slipping from one disparate texture and ambiance to another.”, Jeff Tamarkin, Jazz Times
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