The Detroit Symphony Orchestra presents Wynton Marsalis’s Blues Symphony. The work is a triumphant ode to the power of the blues and the scope of America’s musical heritage. With a blend of influences from ragtime to habanera, the seven-movement work takes listeners on a sonic journey through America’s revolutionary era, the early beginnings of jazz in New Orleans, and a big city soundscape that serves as a nod to the Great Migration. Detroit being one of the most vibrant melting pots of musical cultures in the U.S., the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is an ideal advocate for this original contribution to the symphonic repertoire. The recording is also the DSO’s first with its 18th music director Jader Bignamini, who began his role in 2020.
The creation of the Blues Symphony was reportedly a long and arduous process for Marsalis. You wouldn’t know it from the confident and magnificent result. This multifaceted and provocative work draws from the blues and other popular forms without mimicking them. This is the second recording of the Blues Symphony within five years, which augurs well for its continued place in the orchestral repertoire.
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