Simply Stated

This is his second album as a real band leader. Blanchard explained that this album is a tribute to Miles Davis. The album contains four famous jazz standards and four Blanchard's original compositions. The record went Top 10 on the Billboard traditional jazz charts.[7]

Nick Deriso of Something Else Reviews stated "This record was, Blanchard told me, his love letter to Miles Davis. In retrospect, it was the beginning of his ascension from young lion into modern standard bearer, too... “Simply Stated,” pleasant if never really triumphant, is centered by sharp if respectful renditions of a challenging Davis-associated number “Dear Old Stockholm” and then on “Sleepy Time Down South.” Blanchard, working his way back from a problem with his embouchure, even then blended enough artistry to draw second glances. As perhaps overly careful as this album sometimes was, it actually marked the starting point in a series giant steps for Blanchard as an artist.[8]

Scott Yanow of Allmusic wrote "Terence Blanchard is in top form throughout this highly enjoyable outing... The music is tied to the hard bop tradition yet is quite fresh and open to more modern influences. Recommended."

• Antonio Hart – alto saxophone (track 3)
• Rodney Whitaker – double bass
• Billy Kilson – drums (track 7)
• Troy Davis – cymbals, drums
• Dr. George Butler – executive producer
• Bruce Barth – piano
• Terence Blanchard – producer, trumpet, piano (solo) (track 5)
• Sam Newsome – tenor saxophone

• Official website