I haven’t seen the movie yet, and trust me, you don’t have to in order to enjoy this album by composer/trumpeter Terence Blanchard. Yes, he’s done a number of soundtracks; trust me, this one’s his most “jazzy.” By far!
He mixes and matches with a stellar team of Kanny Barron/p, Carl Allen/dr, David Pulphus/b, Ravi Coltrane/ts and Khari Allen Lee/as, even stepping off screen during a gloriously meloidic and thoughtful duet between Barron and Pulphus on “Kenny Gets Out.” A handful of quartet p ieces include a misty “Jackie Gets Out,” a slightly strutting “Jackie in the Rain” with some searing horn work and a sensuously slinky “Tit for Tat Nocturne” with Barron creating a rich smoky nightclub mood.
For the larger ensembles, Coltrane moans and sighs on “Jackie’s Lament,” Allen snaps the team to attention on the boppy “Deli to Soup Kitchen” and the team taps into its inner Jazz Messengers on the driving “Florida Salsa.”
I’m not sure I want to see the movie, as it might distract me from the music. This albums a cooker!