INTO THE FIFTH DECADE: TERENCE BLANCHARD AND HIS VISION FOR SFJAZZ

Last month in Miner Auditorium, SFJAZZ threw a party for its members and dropped some bombshell news. Executive Artistic Director Randall Kline — the organization’s founder, soon to retire after 40 years — eased into his announcement: “As you all know, I’m leaving here shortly. And there’s going to be a successor,” he said, as the room grew silent. “And we know who the successor is, and the successor happens to be in town right now, and — actually, he’s here.”

And out walked Terence Blanchard.

The crowd erupted with surprised shouts and applause.

Ever since Kline disclosed that he would be retiring in November, after he turns 70, there had been speculation about who would take his place and lead SFJAZZ into its fifth decade.

Choosing Blanchard makes solid sense.

Among the foremost trumpeters in jazz, he came up with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers in the 1980s and today leads one of the most respected working bands in the business. He has executive experience, as well, having served for more than a decade as artistic director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. And he has grown into one of the most ambitious and visionary figures in American music. Blanchard, 61, has scored some 50 television shows and films (including a bunch for director Spike Lee) and is the composer of two operas, Champion and Fire Shut Up In My Bones, both staged to critical acclaim at the Metropolitan Opera in New York over the past two years. He is a pioneer and activist: When “Fire” premiered in October 2021, Blanchard became the first Black composer ever to have a work staged at the Met, which was founded in 1883.

Even with those credentials, he speaks humbly about stepping into Kline’s shoes: “When posed with the question of replacing him — well, you can’t replace him,” he says. “That’s Number One. Can’t do that. But I thought about it. I think I have something to offer. I think I can relate to the musicians and to the audience in such a way that allow them to feel free to create. Because that’s the main thing: I want to continue what’s been happening here and then take it further.”

Later this summer, Blanchard will begin easing into his job as Executive Artistic Director. He and his wife Robin Burgess, a well-known artists’ manager, are looking for a home in the Bay Area. Already splitting their time between New Orleans (Blanchard’s hometown) and Los Angeles, their busy lives are about to get busier. Touring commitments will limit the time Blanchard spends in the Bay Area in the coming months. But he will be checking in via Zoom, regularly. As he settles into his new job, he expects to spend one or two weeks per month in his SFJAZZ office at the corner of Franklin and Fell streets, probably starting some time in 2024.

Earlier this month, Blanchard, who’s now on the road with Herbie Hancock, got on the phone to talk about his vision for SFJAZZ.

RS: You’re a busy guy — operas, film scores, touring with your band. What is it about SFJAZZ that makes you want to add this job to your jam-packed life?

TB: When you look at SFJAZZ as it is right now, it’s a miracle. It’s a miracle. Look, we’re talking about jazz. We’re not talking about rock ‘n’ roll. We’re talking about jazz, and it’s a hard commodity to sell sometimes. But Randall understood the market from the beginning — and then to have your own brick and mortar place, your own concert hall, and to continue it and grow it? It’s a miracle. I remember when I first came to SFJAZZ and met Randall — it was just Randall! Now I walk in the building and there’s an HR department, an artistic department, a marketing department, an education department. I’m like, man, get outta here! That’s incredible. What makes it really incredible is that it’s been working, because you can see the community’s response to it. And, dude, that’s Randall Kline.

He’s done it all. He paid attention to exactly what happens when a customer walks through the door, what happens when they get their drink, when they get to their seat. I have to pay attention to that, as well. I’m not going to let that stuff slip by. Look, when somebody hands you a Rolls Royce, you’ve got to take care. He’s handed me something that’s extremely special.

Sure, I have my ideas about what I want to do with the program, but right now it’s really about learning how the sausage is made. I want to get a sense of where we’re at and then start building on what we’ve got.

RS: Tell me about your general philosophy.

TB: I came up through Art Blakey’s band, and we always had a communal kind of attitude toward the development of jazz. That band was titled the Jazz Messengers, and Art always encouraged us to compose our own music, to develop our craft and our careers. He’d tell us, “When you leave this band, don’t just go out and be a sideman for someone else. Be a bandleader to keep this music moving.” So our message was always expanding and we were expanding.

And that’s always been a part of what I do with my own bands. I’ve always encouraged the guys to compose, to grow their own art, and this completely relates to what’s happening at SFJAZZ.

Because what I‘ve always loved about SFJAZZ is that it’s not just about presenting music, it’s about being an incubator for creativity — with the SFJAZZ Collective, with the Resident Artistic Directors, with the community outreach, with the educational programs. For me, coming here is a logical extension of being a Jazz Messenger. Because this place is all about giving musicians an opportunity to develop new ideas and see where it goes — and at the same time to present a product that’s worthy of a San Francisco audience. I want to continue all of that, opening it up for artists and audiences alike.

RS: Attracting younger and more diverse audiences to SFJAZZ is an ongoing challenge. What do you propose to do?

TB: It’s one of the things we’re trying to figure out. It’s the same thing I tried to do at the Met. And it has to do with the programming first, and then through the programming being able to reach out to different communities. At the Met, there were whole communities who had never felt comfortable coming through those doors. There may be a similar situation here — I don’t know. It’s something we’ll have to address. Some people might feel that way, so we’ll need to reach out to them: “We have something that we think you’ll be interested in.” It’s about us doing the legwork, and again, it starts with the programming — learning what might push the buttons for a given community. The idea is to get them through the doors for something they’d enjoy, and then say, “Well, you might like this other thing, too.”

It was extremely successful at the Met, because those were the most diverse audiences they’d ever had there. And then those people went out and bought tickets to see other operas.

RS: You’re not performing at SFJAZZ this coming season; that’s just the way things have worked out. Until recently, no one — not even you — knew you’d be working here. But once you settle in with the new job, how often do you expect to perform here? Will you have an annual residency?

TB: I don’t want the place to be about me and me performing there. I mean, I’ll probably do concerts every year — who knows? But that’s not my motivation for doing this. Look man, I’m blessed. I’m already touring with my own band. I’m touring with Herbie Hancock.

What’s important is that we maintain the sonic heritage of SFJAZZ. For me, when I think of SFJAZZ, I think of a lot of different types of music: experimental music, traditional jazz, world music. And it’s interesting to see how the community supports all of that.

RS: Randall Kline always says that SFJAZZ presents jazz, along with anything that influences jazz, and anything influenced by jazz. How would you define your own programming philosophy?

TB: I may say it differently, but it’s the same thing. Whenever there’s an improvisational component, it’s going to be of interest to jazz musicians. You look at John Coltrane and what he did with Indian music, or you look at Dizzy Gillespie and what he did with Latin music. Or you look at what so many musicians today are doing with hip-hop and other styles, bringing their own wide musical interests to what they do.

I think it’s important to present all of those things, because I’m not a separatist, man. Everybody has had an opportunity to contribute to the world of art. Look, we have 12 notes in the chromatic scale in the Western music that we use, and with that one little scale, all these different musics have been created — because so many people have a burning desire to express themselves.

There’s a common thread, no matter where music comes from: What is it that speaks to the soul from all these different parts of the world? Think about it. Zakir Hussain lives here. He grew up in India, and when we listen to Zakir, he’s playing tablas, man, and his music is really expressive — there’s that life force. Some people call it God, some people have a different name for it. But there’s a common denominator in music, and for me that’s the fascinating part — seeing how all these musics have influenced jazz. I’ve had the same lesson by talking to Herbie (Hancock) and learning how he listened to all these different classical composers when he was coming up.

RS: I remember the first time I heard Herbie interviewed. It was on the radio in New York, around 1970, and he was talking about being influenced by both Stockhausen and James Brown.

TB: Exactly, and Kodály was another composer he loved. And that for me was fascinating. Because while I loved everything Herbie played on his albums when I was growing up, I was fascinated to learn the inspiration and the motivation behind his music. And the way the world is now — we can bring all that stuff, that whole world of music, to SFJAZZ.

RS: You sound energized.

TB: I’m excited about everything I’ll learn about music by working at SFJAZZ. There’s a segment of what they put onstage in the hall that I’ve never even had a chance to experience. I’ve been flipping through the catalog for the new season, and I realized that I didn’t know some of those artists — some of the world musicians, in particular. So I’m looking at that and thinking, “This is going to be great for me.” I mean, I like all different kinds of music, but my life is kind of jam-packed, so I don’t always have a lot of time to listen to new things.

RS: This will make sure that you do.

TB: Yup, force-feeding — in a good way!

RS: This isn’t the first time you’ve run an organization. You ran the Thelonious Monk Institute for years. What did you learn there that applies here in San Francisco?

TB: I’m a firm believer in showing the breadth of the music. At the Monk Institute (now known as the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz), I’d bring in specialists to work with the kids. We made sure to bring in a very diverse group of musicians, to give the students a sense of everything that’s available to them — helping them to understand that music doesn’t just go down one path. So we brought in Steve Lacy, the soprano saxophonist, who was kind of avant-garde, and we brought in Kenny Barron, Barry Harris, Lewis Nash, Jeff Watts, Jack DeJohnette — lots of styles.

But the main thing I learned is, you hire talented people and you help them shine. Spike Lee used to tell me something when we’d do the scores for his films. Spike would say, “Man, if you’ve got Michael Jordan on your team, you’ve got to let him shoot!” So when Kenny Barron came in to play piano on a film score, we let him display his talents. And I feel the same way about SFJAZZ: There are some young, talented, and very smart people who work here. There’s no need for me to come in and dictate. I mean, yes, I’ll have my ideas. But the thing I learned at the Monk Institute is that the job is more about listening than about dictating. When you listen, people can come up with ideas that can spark something or introduce you to something new. It’s all about learning; it’s a community effort. My vision is for everybody to contribute.

This is interesting: I used to teach at UCLA, and for a couple of years I taught a course about jazz in the ‘60s. There was so much to cover. You can go from Albert Ayler to Benny Golson, and from Cecil Taylor to John Lewis. You know what I mean? There’s so many viewpoints and taking-off points for creativity, and who’s to say that one is better than the other? And it’s the same thing with an organization like SFJAZZ. We’ve got a lot of creative people, and they will bring different ideas and approaches to the table.

RS: Let’s talk about specific programs. Looking into your crystal ball, how do you see the SFJAZZ Collective evolving?

TB: One of the things that has to happen is that their albums should get national attention. I’d like to expand what we do with SFJAZZ Records — our in-house label, which isn’t very well-known — to help promote the organization and the Collective, a two-fold thing. And maybe I can be on the label, too, because I’m not on Blue Note anymore. And maybe down the road we can strike deals with artists who are performing in the hall to record and release their work. It’s just an idea, who knows?

Just think about one of the Collective’s albums getting nominated for a GRAMMY. That would bring so much attention to the organization and to the band. The whole idea behind the Collective is to give those guys a chance to make their own music and take it on the road, and what better way to further that than to get behind it with a powerful label and additional marketing?

RS: Do you see yourself ever playing with the Collective — joining the group, or just sitting in?

TB: I could play with them now and then, sure. But I don’t want to have a total hands-on approach with the Collective. They should organize themselves. They should decide who’s going to be the leader of the group. I imagine I’ll have input here and there on creative things, but they’re running the show.

I don’t know if you’ve ever gone to college competitions. It used to drive me crazy. These college bands would be up there with their band director — and they’d be playing the band director’s music. No! I hated that! So I promise, it’s not going to be “The SFJAZZ Collective Plays the Music of Terence Blanchard.” No, man, that’s not what’s happening.

RS: I’ve heard that you’d like to create a commissioning program for composers at SFJAZZ.

TB: Right. There are a lot of young musicians who have an interest in composition and don’t really have a chance to expand on that outside their own ensembles. I want to create a commissioning program that would allow them to do something they’ve never done before. Dude, I’m touring with a string quartet right now — years ago, I never would’ve thought that’s possible. A string quartet? Why not offer that kind of thing to some of these young musicians? Hopefully, it can spark some ideas in their brains. I’d like to widen the opportunities for young musicians: Who knows what the future’s going to hold for anyone who comes through the doors at SFJAZZ?

RS: What are your thoughts about the Resident Artistic Directors program? You were a RAD yourself, back in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. You even presented Champion at the SFJAZZ Center in 2016.

TB: Having my opera here was a feat for me. No other jazz organization says, “Hey, man, bring your opera here! We wanna do that!”

RS: Next season, five new RADs will come on board — including Kenny Barron and Ravi Coltrane who will present different programs on consecutive nights of their residencies.

TB: I had a good conversation with TJ Gorton (SFJAZZ’s Director of Marketing) about the residencies and how we might consider reorganizing them. It’s just something to think about. But when one of the Artistic Directors does four nights in a row in the hall — with a different band or a different program for each show — you’re basically selling to a different audience every night. Because not too many people are going to come four straight nights to the same place, no matter how different the shows are.

So here’s the idea: What if you spread the residency over a season — a concert in September, a concert in January, another one in March, another in May? Maybe you’d get more of a chance to have repeat sales. TJ’s a smart guy; that wasn’t my idea. But it’s exactly what I’m doing in New York right now, with my own residency at Lincoln Center. It’s called See Me As I Am, a year-long residency of my work. It started with Champion. There’ve been films that I scored. There’s going to be a dance piece — there’s going to be a bunch of stuff, and it’s all spread out throughout the year at different venues in Lincoln Center.

Something else that I really want to do here at SFJAZZ is, I want to do some things with Jazz at Lincoln Center. Because I think it’s important to show the world that it’s about the music, not about one organization against the other.

RS: What kinds of collaborations are you thinking about?

TB: Maybe we’d do some concerts together. Maybe we’d have a salon series, discussions, who knows? We’ll see where it goes.

RS: I’ve also heard that you want to expand on the monthly jam sessions that happen in the Joe Henderson Lab.

TB: Right. My thought is there needs to be a regular jam session for local musicians and the community — for two reasons. One is for them to get a chance to play, and, two, is to help us identify some artists who can make it into the main hall. It’s about propping up the local musicians: I don’t want to be in the community and not serve the community. And I think the way to do that is to create something regular, that everybody knows will happen, and make it a comfortable thing, a weekly event. Maybe we’d have a local artist take charge for four weeks — leading the jam session one night a week, for a whole month. I want us to serve the artists who are here, and bring the artists to the community.

SFJAM jam session in the Joe Henderson Lab, 2022. (photo: Richard Gelfand)

RS: This has been an issue for 40 years at SFJAZZ — how big a role should local musicians play in the organization?

TB: It’s an issue in every city I’ve been in, because a lot of times local artists may feel they’re getting the short end of the stick. But one of the things they have to realize — and that I had to realize when I was younger — is, it’s about marketing. And what we want to do is to help them build audiences. Now some of the guys, like (saxophonist) Howard Wiley, who’s one of next season’s RADs, may not need that help. But some do. And some may just need more playing time. Wynton (Marsalis) used to say that playing jazz was like being an airline pilot; you need to get in your flight time in order to establish your proficiency. Musicians need flight time, so to speak. At the Monk Institute, one of the things I used to demand was that they create a regular club gig for the students, so the young musicians could get out there and play once a week.

RS: Here, you’ve got a club right in the SFJAZZ Center.

TB: Exactly.

RS: SFJAZZ has been building SFJAZZ At Home — its digital programming division — ever since the pandemic began. In fact, you’ve been featured on several of the weekly streaming broadcasts.

TB: During the pandemic, I was in New Orleans, checking out every concert online. I’m like, “Damn! When’s the next show!” Every one became a moment of excitement. I think they brought a sense of normalcy to all our lives, and now they’re continuing to bring SFJAZZ into people’s homes, wherever they are. For me, while I’m traveling, SFJAZZ At Home becomes the thing that gets me pumped up and has me waiting to see who’s the next in the line-up. Samara Joy’s show was just streamed, and I’ve been looking at all the artists who are coming up: the Kronos Quartet, Donald Harrison, Jr., Savion Glover, Sun Ra’s Arkestra, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Charles McPherson, on and on. It’s amazing.

RS: Are you a fan of the immersive media system that SFJAZZ has been rolling out in Miner Auditorium? Randall Kline once described it as a “1960s Bill Graham-style light show on steroids” — projecting visual imagery throughout the hall.

TB: That’s one of the first things I talked about when I was interviewed for the job. When I found out they have immersive video in the hall — come on! My intention is to use that for every single concert. Well, it would be up to the artist. Some might feel they don’t need it, and that’s fine. But for those who are interested, I’ll be trying to connect with them: What is the music they’ll present, and do they have any visuals that we’d be able to manipulate and project throughout the concert hall? In the tradition of Randall Kline, let’s think about the experience that people are having. That’s what I want; I want people to come in and experience something they haven’t experienced in other places.

It’s interesting. There’s a friend of mine, a visual artist, who’s done video for my band, improvising visuals on the spot while we perform. His name is Andrew F. Scott, and I’ve already been telling him about this.

Pianist Dan Tepfer performing with the SFJAZZ Immersive Media System, 6/8/23.

And it’s not only immersive video – looking down the road, SFJAZZ could also have the possibility of offering immersive sound, and there’s so much we could do with that. Imagine having Dianne Reeves performing there: What if you pulled her voice out from the middle of the stage and put it right in the middle of the audience? You’re sitting in your seat, and suddenly it feels like Dianne Reeves is singing right next to you.

Again, not everyone wants it; for some, it can be distracting. But we can try it. I saw Herbie do that years ago in Seattle. He’d travel with his own surround-sound setup, and part of the show was explaining it to people. I think he had Wallace (Roney) playing, and he said, “Listen,” and he’d take Wallace’s trumpet sound and move it around the room.

A lot of this stuff might sound far-fetched, but we want people to have an experience that’s enjoyable and new. As an example, imagine if Carlos Santana was taking an incredible guitar solo, and it’s building and building in intensity — and as the solo builds, why not move that sound and drop it right into the middle of the audience?

RS: It’d be interesting to hear your own trumpet sound moved around the hall when you play there.

TB: Maybe it’ll happen.

RS: In the years ahead, do you think you’ll premiere any of your new projects or film scores at SFJAZZ?

TB: For sure. Well, I don’t know about film scores, because that’s a whole different thing. But, oh my God, yes indeed. Look, this is going to be my musical home!

RS: What new projects are you working on?

TB: I just finished scoring a TV series for Disney and Nat Geo, with the working title of Genius: MLK/X, about Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. It’s eight episodes. And I’m working on a new album for my band the E-Collective, with the Turtle Island String Quartet. There’s always something going on.

RS: What about your next opera? Are you thinking about that?

TB: Oh yeah, we haven’t figured that one out yet. There’s a couple things we’re thinking about.

RS: How will you decide on the subject matter? Will you build it around contemporary or historical figures, or around social themes? What’s your thinking on that?

TB: I think about the human condition. I think about, “What are the topics that are troubling us?” And that’s why Champion was about the boxer Emile Griffith not being able to live his life openly and with the man he loved — despite everything he’d accomplished in the ring, he couldn’t do that. So for me, the opera was about us moving past that stuff. And with Fire Shut Up In My Bones, it was about a bisexual man (Charles M. Blow, the New York Times columnist whose memoir inspired the opera). But it was really about isolation — about someone being passed over, ignored or mistreated because he’s different.

But for me, we’re all different. That’s what makes us human.

Read more about Terence Blanchard and his appointment as SFJAZZ's Executive Artistic Director here.

A staff writer at SFJAZZ, Richard Scheinin is a lifelong journalist. He was the San Jose Mercury News' classical music and jazz critic for more than a decade and has profiled scores of public figures, from Ike Turner to Tony La Russa and the Dalai Lama.