For the past decade, vibraphonist and composer Tyler Blanton has garnered attention as a rising star on the New York Jazz scene. Known for his distinctly lyrical and nuanced sound on the vibraphone, Blanton has been praised as “an heir to the swinging and melodically-charged throne of post-bop masters such as Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson.”  He has toured the US, Europe, and Asia both as a leader and as a featured guest artist and received press from the New York Times, JazzTimes, Hot House, the LA Times, and Downbeat Magazine. He is also a gifted educator and has led masterclasses on vibraphone and improvisation around the globe.

 

Blanton was taken with the vibraphone early on. “Vibes were the perfect intersection of percussion and melody,” he tells me. “Playing drums growing up, vibes were my doorway into composition and learning the keyboard. When I first heard them on a Chick Corea/Gary Burton album in my teens, it was a totally revelatory experience. Later, albums like Milt Jackson’s Sunflower and Detour, Bobby Hutcherson’s live offerings from the Village Vanguard, and Horace Silver’s In Pursuit of the 27th Man (with David Friedman on vibes) continued my fascination with the instrument.”

 

Since his debut there in 2022, Blanton has become a regular on the Django’s roster. “It’s a beautiful room and accessible for a lot of folks that might not otherwise end up at a jazz club,” he explains. “You can go to listen or just have dinner and enjoy the ambiance. It’s all about having a good time and enjoying a night out, but you’ll hear world class music there any night of the week. I always play some of my original music and a handful of standards. Most of the standards I play are from the Great American Songbook. The instrumentation is always piano, bass, vibes and drums. We have a lot of fun and try to let the audience in to be part of the experience.”

 

Blanton is looking forward to much more in 2025. “I have two albums in the can which I’m hoping to get out next year. One is coming in spring and one next fall. The first is a new original modern jazz record, and the second is a larger project with a whole host of Brazilian musicians I work with in NYC.”

 

With the term “jazz” encompassing a myriad of musical styles these days, what does the word mean to Blanton? “Wayne Shorter said jazz means ‘I dare you,’ Blanton replies. “But along those lines, I just think it’s doing your own thing within the musical context that you and your peers are versed in.”

 

*Words by Jon Regen

 

Catch Tyler Blanton at the Django on Wednesday, November 6! Reserve your table HERE.