Blood on the Fields

Blood on the Fields
Box set by
Wynton Marsalis
ReleasedJune 17, 1997 (1997-06-17)
RecordedJanuary 22–25, 1995
GenreJazz
LabelColumbia
Wynton Marsalis chronology
In Gabriel's Garden
(1996) 		Blood on the Fields
(1997) 		Jump Start and Jazz
(1997)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings[2]

Blood on the Fields is a two-and-a-half-hour jazz oratorio by Wynton Marsalis. It was commissioned by Lincoln Center and treats the history of slavery and its aftermath in the United States of America. 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.[3] The work received the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Music,[4] being the first time the prize was ever given for a jazz music composition, an honor that had previously been reserved for classical composers.

  1. ^ Yanow, Scott. "Blood on the Fields - Review". AllMusic. Retrieved November 8, 2009.
  2. ^ Cook, Richard; Morton, Brian (2008). The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings (9th ed.). Penguin. p. 951. ISBN 978-0-141-03401-0.
  3. ^ "Blood on the Fields". Wynton Marsalis Enterprises. Retrieved June 5, 2020.
  4. ^ "Blood on the Fields, by Wynton Marsalis". The Pulitzer Prizes. January 28, 1997. Retrieved May 15, 2020.