Da Camera presents Terence Blanchard at Wortham Theatre Center 4/22

On Saturday, April 22, Da Camera of Houston presents four-time Grammy Award winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard at the Cullen Theater, Wortham Theater Center. Since embarking on his solo recording career, the New Orleans-born and -based artist has traveled many paths musically, including delivering adventurous and provocative acoustic jazz outings of original material and composing over 50 soundtracks. Now Blanchard powerfully and playfully journeys into a new jazz realm with his quintet, The E-Collective - an exciting zone of grooved fusion teeming with funk, R&B and blues colors. It is his first foray into straight-up groove.

Blanchard and his quintet-guitarist Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist Donald Ramsey and drummer Oscar Seaton-have a powerful and playful performance prepared for Houston. "Terence Blanchard has always been forward thinking, but with E-Collective he shoots straight into tomorrow...but it's still the tough but tender, timeless but vital unique tone that marks Terence's horn as one of the truly great classic jazzmen," says DownBeat about E-Collective.

Born in New Orleans, Blanchard began playing the piano at the age of five and added the trumpet to his repertoire at the age of eight after hearing Alvin Alcorn play. Music became an integral part of Blanchard's high school years when he began studying at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. He then studied under Paul Jeffrey and Bill Fielder at Rutgers University in New Jersey while touring with Lionel Hampton's orchestra. From there, Blanchard replaced Wynton Marsalis, at Marsalis's recommendation, in Blakey's Jazz Messengers where he spent the next four years as lead soloist and musical director. During the '90s, he branched out on his own, performing, recording and composing independently. In 2000, Blanchard was named artistic director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. He continued to follow his passion for live performance and touring, and maintained a regular studio presence for recording.

Tickets for Terence Blanchard start at $42.50. Tickets are available by contacting Da Camera, 1402 Sul Ross, at 713-524-5050 or online at www.dacamera.com. Tickets for students and senior citizens are always half-price. $5 student rush tickets are available 30 minutes before the concert begins.

ABOUT DA CAMERA

Da Camera's concerts feature small ensembles performing chamber music, jazz, early music and contemporary music. A vital institution in the world of chamber music, Da Camera is a source of innovative programming, notably Artistic and General Director Sarah Rothenberg's programs connecting chamber music with literature and the visual arts. Da Camera is nationally acclaimed for thought-provoking chamber music programming, as well as a jazz series with a unique balance between renowned performers and emerging artists.