Philly music director Adam Blackstone’s big year includes a Grammy nod and the Super Bowl
The Philly musician talks about stepping into the spotlight.
Adam Blackstone has played bass guitar and scored arrangements for some of the world’s biggest performers during his 20-plus years as a musical director.
Yet, when Jimmy Fallon held Blackstone’s Grammy-nominated jazz album Legacy up to the Tonight Show’s cameras in early December, introducing the Philly-area musician’s first solo project to an audience of millions, Blackstone felt a surge of delight he’d never experienced.
“I’ve done Jimmy Fallon at least 50 times with 50 different artists,” said Blackstone, who lives in Middletown, Del. “But when Jimmy held up my CD and said, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Blackstone,’ it hit different. In that moment I knew I was on the right path.”
Blackstone savored his moment. Dressed in a crisp, winter white blazer, he strummed his upright bass with joyful flair as gospel duo Mary Mary, YouTube jazz sensation Inayah, and Philly-bred rapper Black Thought performed his work.
To quote Jill Scott, one of Blackstone’s dear friends and mentors, his path is golden. He’s headed to the Grammys this weekend as a nominee for best traditional R&B performance for the single “Round Midnight,” featuring Philly native Jazmine Sullivan. He’s nominated for two NAACP Image Awards: Best New Artist and Best Jazz Album. In October Legacy was No. 1 on Billboard for contemporary jazz. His phone hasn’t stopped ringing since former President Barack Obama listed “Round Midnight” on his annual playlist.
Blackstone will be in Arizona to serve as musical director for Super Bowl LVII. His job: to make sure the performances run smoothly. “I stage the music, I hire the musicians. I run the rehearsals. I decide what gear we are going to use,” he explained. He’s the man behind Chris Stapleton, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Babyface’s pregame show instrumentation. And he will choose the set list for Rihanna’s halftime performance. Will Jay-Z join Rihanna for “Umbrella?” Blackstone is not saying. But he’s sure he’ll be wearing Fenty when he accompanies Rihanna on bass.
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This will be the third time Blackstone has been plucked to be musical director for a Super Bowl. His first was in 2018, the year his beloved Eagles won. (Perhaps he’s the Birds’ good luck charm.) His work on the Super Bowl LVI halftime show — starring Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige — earned him a 2022 Emmy for Outstanding Musical Direction.
Blackstone, 41, was born in Trenton. His family moved to Willingboro when he was 4, where his dad was active in Union A.M.E. church’s musical ministry. “My dad was a one-man band on the keyboards,” Blackstone said. “He was the first musical director I knew. The church shaped who I am, musically.”
He moved to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts on a jazz studies scholarship and discovered Black Lily, a weekly open mic session at the Five Spot in Old City. He met Questlove and the Roots crew and accompanied neo-soul giants like Scott, Sullivan, Bilal, Vivian Green, and Carol Riddick on bass.
In 2004 Blackstone landed a gig as Jay-Z’s bassist on the emcee’s “Fade to Black” tour. Scott asked Blackstone to be her musical director in 2005 for the first Sugar Water Festival. Two years later, Ye, then known as Kanye West, hired him to play on the Graduation album and he was the musical director for the rapper’s subsequent “Glow In The Dark” tour.
Blackstone has been the musical director for the Academy Awards, the Grammys, the BET Awards, and the Soul Train Music Awards. He’s directed Justin Timberlake and Eminem on tour. He scored BET’s 2017 The New Edition Story and was a musician on The Greatest Showman soundtrack the following year, earning him one of several gold records.
Blackstone says he will not be the musical director for Sunday’s Grammy performances. “I just wanted to enjoy myself as a nominee,” he said. “I’m bringing my mom as my date.”
We talked with Blackstone about what Legacy means, reminisced about his time at Black Lily, and chatted about what’s next. Answers have been edited for clarity.
On “Legacy”:
Tomorrow is not promised. I lost some people through COVID: a best friend, a cousin. A few of my friends lost their parents. I love making people dance on stage. But I didn’t want to leave this Earth with a laptop full of ideas. I recorded the album in August in 45 days and released it in September. ... I realized there was a void when it comes to appreciating jazz. We are so into trap sampling and making beats. I wanted to focus on live arrangements and incorporate gospel, R&B, and hip-hop into my jazz roots.
On the Super Bowl half-time show:
It’s challenging. I’m stuffing a concert into 13 minutes into the middle of a sporting event. There are so many things to consider. What kind of story do I want to tell? How do I want to start? I have to make the decision to present a set list and when an artist has a lot of hits it’s hard to feel like you’ve gotten them all in. I’m curating and translating what’s done in studio for a live audience in a way people can remember.
On Black Lily:
That changed my life. I walked in and met all of these Black people who were excellent. No matter how many times you played the same song, it had to be good. Black Lily allowed me the vulnerability to freelance and form my own path as a musician.
On what’s next:
I already have some ideas for Legacy 2. Who would I like to perform with next? Eric Clapton, Quincy Jones, CeCe Winans. I’m opening for Jill Scott at the Met this March. Talk about a full circle moment. I mean I’m not musical directing for Jill. I’m opening for her! The question remains though: Who is going to musical direct the musical director?