‘Music and art have the power to change hearts and souls,’ expresses composer and trumpeter Terence Blanchard — a belief brought to life through the music of Blanchard and his E-Collective. This revolutionary ensemble thrives off the perfect mixture of Blanchard’s genius and the innovations of four young musical pioneers: guitarist Charles Altura, pianist Fabian Almazan, bassist David ‘DJ’ Ginyard Jr., and drummer Oscar Seaton. It was while recording the scores for Spike Lee’s Inside Man and Kasi Lemmons’ Talk to Me that Blanchard and Seaton first dreamt of a band that layered grooves teeming with funk, R&B, and blues colors. Years later, that dream came to fruition and formed the foundation for the E-Collective’s signature sound.

Following a poignant E-Collective performance in Staten Island, Blanchard was overwhelmed by the healing impact of his music on the audience. In attendance were many friends and family of Eric Garner ‘” a local man who had been fatally injured in an altercation with police and to whom the E-Collective’s debut album, Breathless, is dedicated. Motivated by this experience, the E-Collective’s 2018 album, LIVE, was recorded live in Twin Cities, Cleveland, Dallas, and Harlem, all of which are cities that have been similarly wounded by racial tensions. Coinciding with these recording sessions, Blanchard worked with local community leaders to host panel discussions encouraging dialogue for positive social change. As the E-Collective ventures into uncharted territories, there is a common understanding that creation and communication generate change.