Blood on the Fields is a two-and-a-half-hour jazz oratorio composed by Wynton Marsalis for the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, released by Columbia Records in 1997. It debuted on January 28, 1997 at Woolsey Hall at Yale University.
It was commissioned by Lincoln Center and covers the history of slavery and its aftermath in the United States. 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. The work received the 1997 Pulitzer Prize for Music, which was the first time the prize was ever given for a jazz music composition, an honor that had previously been reserved for classical composers.
The AllMusic review by Scott Yanow stated: "the musicians.. are quite superb. It, however, should be mentioned that the use of group narration to tell parts of the story does not work that well, the music could have used a stronger and more complicated story..., and few of the themes are at all memorable".
All tracks are written and arranged by Wynton Marsalis.