The live experience
What reaches the room
Blood on the Fields is a landmark jazz oratorio created by Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. Premiered in the 1990s and released as a 1997 album by Wynton Marsalis & Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, this two-and-a-half-hour work reimagines the story of enslaved Africans Leona and Jesse, weaving themes of freedom, community, and resilience into a powerful musical narrative. In 1997, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Music—the first jazz composition to receive the award—cementing its place in American musical history. The piece continues to inspire audiences worldwide and remains a touchstone for jazz theater and large-ensemble storytelling.