Seven-time Grammy Award-winning trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard and his band, The E-Collective, bring their 20th Anniversary "Flow" Tour to the Mondavi Center on April 11 at 7:30 p.m. (Jackson Hall).

Originally released in 2005, Blanchard's groundbreaking and critically acclaimed album Flow marked a turning point in his career--blending his post-bop roots with bold experimentation and contemporary influences. Produced by jazz legend Herbie Hancock, the album expanded Blanchard's musical identity and continues to resonate two decades later.

Blanchard's later albums--such as A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina) and Breathless--carried forward Flow's signature fusion of groove, structure, and expressive storytelling. Flow also anticipated the increasingly narrative-driven nature of his work, particularly in his acclaimed scores for film and television. These include directorSpike Lee's Academy Award–nominated films "BlacKkKlansman" (2018) and "Da 5 Bloods" (2020), as well as Gina Prince-Bythewood's powerful historical epic "The Woman King" (2022).

In addition to his film work, Blanchard has composed two operas: "Champion: An Opera in Jazz" (2013), and "Fire Shut Up in My Bones." The latter made history in 2021 as the first opera by a Black composer to be performed at the Metropolitan Opera.

For this special performance at the Mondavi Center on April 11, Blanchard has reimagined the music of Flow for his dynamic ensemble, The E-Collective, featuring Charles Altura on guitar, Fabian Almazan on piano and synthesizers, Oscar Seaton on drums, and newest member David "DJ" Ginyard Jr. on bass.

It has been a remarkable journey for Blanchard, who launched his career in 1980 performing with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra while studying jazz at Rutgers University. In 1982, just shy of his 20th birthday, he left Rutgers to join the legendary Jazz Messengers, setting the stage for a storied career in music.

From 2000 to 2011, Blanchard served as the artistic director of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz.

He was later appointed artistic director of the Henry Mancini Institute at the University of Miami in 2011 and became a visiting scholar in jazz composition at the Berklee College of Music in 2015. In 2019, UCLA named him to its prestigious Endowed Chair in Jazz Studies, a position he held until 2023. That same year, SFJAZZ appointed Blanchard as its Executive Artistic Director, where he now leads the organization's artistic programming and shapes its creative vision.

In 2024, Blanchard was honored as a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master, joining the ranks of jazz legends such as Abbey Lincoln, Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Sonny Rollins-- part of a distinguished group of just 173 fellows recognized by the NEA.

Blanchard holds the unique distinction of being the only artist to win Grammy Awards as an opera composer, jazz composer, and jazz soloist. He also shares a rare honor with the late, great Quincy Jones as one of only two African American composers to receive two Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score.

As of this writing, tickets are still available for Terence Blanchard and the E-Collective on April 11 at the Mondavi Center (Jackson Hall) UC Davis.

Tier Boxes: $20.00-$92.50
Grand Tier/Upper Tier--$20.00-$75.50
Orch A-R 20.00 to $92.50
Orch S-Y/Orch Terrace $20.00 to 92.50.

For more information call (530) 754-2787. Email: tickets@ucdavis.edu. and check out the Website at https://www.mondaviarts.org/whats-on/terence-blanchard-flow/.

Editor's Note: Information used in this report obtained from UC Davis/Mondavi Center publicity.