Blood on the Fields is a two-and-a-half-hour jazz oratorio composed by Wynton Marsalis for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, released by Columbia Records in 1997. It debuted on January 28, 1997 at Woolsey Hall at Yale University.
It was commissioned by Lincoln Center and covers the history of slavery and its aftermath in the United States. The oratorio tells the story of two slaves, Jesse and Leona, as they traverse the difficult journey to freedom. The narrative suggests that the individual freedom and agency of its protagonists is necessarily and inextricably intertwined with the empowerment of the community and nation as a whole. The work received the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Music, which was the first time the prize was ever given for a jazz music composition, an honor that had previously been reserved for classical composers.
Contents
Track listing
All tracks are written and arranged by Wynton Marsalis.
Personnel
Wynton Marsalis – trumpet, oratory vocals
Miles Griffith (as Jesse), Cassandra Wilson (as Leona), Jon Hendricks (as wise man) – vocals
Roger Ingram (lead), Marcus Printup (second), Russell Gunn (third) – trumpet, oratory vocals
Ron Westray (lead), Wayne Goodman (second) – trombone, oratory vocals
Wycliffe Gordon – trombone, tuba, oratory vocals
Walter Blanding – soprano saxophone, oratory vocals
Wes Anderson – lead alto saxophone, oratory vocals
Robert Stewart – lead tenor saxophone, oratory vocals
Victor Goines – tenor and soprano saxophones, clarinet, bass clarinet, oratory vocals
James Carter – baritone saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, oratory vocals
Regina Carter, Michael Ward – violin, oratory vocals
Eric Reed – piano, oratory vocals
Reginald Veal – double bass, oratory vocals
Herlin Riley – drums, tambourine, oratory vocals