Trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard breaks the mold with his new quintet, The E-Collective. This project journeys to an exciting realm of grooved fusion teeming with funk, R&B, and blues colors. Joined by guitarist Charles Altura, Fabian Almazan on piano and synths, bassist Donald Ramsey, and Oscar Seaton on drums, Blanchard’s latest release Breathless is a master class in storytelling, written in response to social tensions and inspired by Eric Garner’s resounding words: “I Can’t Breathe.”

Pre-concert talk with Terence Blanchard on the fundamentals of jazz improvisation, composition and structure, and the art of active listening – 6:15 p.m. in the Concert Hall lobby.

$35, $25; Five College and 17 & Under: $10