World-renowned film composer and trumpet player Terence Blanchard has reunited with director Spike Lee to score “Miracle at St. Anna,” which will debut at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, September 7th at 9:00pm in the Visa Screening Room. There will be a second showing of the film on Tuesday, September 9th at 11:00am in the Visa Screening Room (Film opens nationally on September 26). Blanchard will be performing an “outdoor concert” sponsored by the festival on Monday, September 8th at 8:30pm at Yonge-Dundas Square.

“Miracle at St. Anna” marks the Golden-Globe nominated composer’s 43rd film score and 12th collaboration with Lee. Miracle at St. Anna is part of the Special Presentations at the festival.

About The Film:

Hardcover: About The
Motion Picture,
Including
Complete Script

With a cast that includes Michael Ealy, John Turturro, John Leguizamo, and Walton
Scoggins, “Miracle at St. Anna” depicts the lives of four African-American soldiers
fighting in World War II (1944) who are trapped in an Italian village. The film is set
in Tuscany and follows the 92nd Buffalo Soldier Division as the soldiers find themselves trapped behind enemy lines and separated from their unit. What happens within the
confines of the town, the stories of love and loss and the incredible passion with which
these soldiers live out their daily lives is nothing less than physically and emotionally extraordinary. “Miracle at St. Anna” is presented by Touchstone Pictures in association
with On My Own and Rai Cinema.

About the Score:

Says Blanchard of Miracle, “I’m inspired by the story itself.” Growing-up in New Orleans, I remember the Buffalo Soldiers marching in parades and never realized the significant role they played in fighting for our freedom. It’s an honor to be a part of a project that helps to relive and tell a small segment of what those soldiers dealt with in our history.”

Directed by Spike Lee, “Miracle at St. Anna” marks the 12th feature film that Lee and Blanchard have worked on together including Mo Better Blues, Malcolm X and Inside Man, along with HBO’s critically lauded Emmy-winning series, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem In Four Acts. Terence’s CD, A Tale Of God’s Will (A Requiem For Katrina), is based on the music that Terence wrote for the series and included new music written by his band members. A beautifully haunting and impassioned song-cycle about Hurricane Katrina and the ravages incurred by it upon the city of New Orleans and its residents, A Tale Of God’s Will (A Requiem For Katrina) was the recipient of a 2008 Grammy Award.

“Miracle at St. Anna” is based on author James McBride’s critically-acclaimed, NY Times bestseller and World War II novel of the same name. Featuring over 140 minutes of music and 42 separate cues, the score for “Miracle at St. Anna” was recorded at Sony Studios in Los Angeles with a 98-piece orchestra as well as members of Terence’s band.

Terence Blanchard Background:

Blanchard was born in New Orleans on March 13, 1962, and began playing piano at 5 years of age. In elementary school, he added on the trumpet and was coached at home by his opera-singing father. In high school, Blanchard came under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis and Roger Dickerson, and after graduation, attended Rutger’s University on a music scholarship where one of his professors was so impressed by his talent that he brokered him a touring gig with Lionel Hampton’s band.

In ‘83, Wynton Marsalis recommended Terence as his replacement in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. Part of the Blakey legend was his ability to foster performances and individual personalities from the young, malleable talents he brought into his fold. Blakey utilized and nurtured the improvisation and compositional ideas of his band members to solidify his own unique artistic vision. The legacy of the working band as jazz workshop is at the essence of jazz, and Terence remains one of the few on the scene today who fully embrace that dynamic.

The past year has been an incredibly prolific one for Terence on a number of other levels. In addition to touring worldwide, Blanchard also played a pivotal role in the moving of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz from Los Angeles to New Orleans, a move that as Artistic Director he feels will benefit not only the city of New Orleans, but the students themselves who will be surrounded by the ever-present rich diversity of music in the Crescent City.

Other Films Scored By Terence Blanchard:

Click The Links Below To Get More Information On These Soundtracks:
Eve’s Bayou
Talk to Me

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