Brian Blade | |
|---|---|
 Blade at the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival | |
| Background information | |
| Born | July 25, 1970 Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Genres | Jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, composer |
| Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion |
| Labels | Nonesuch, Columbia, Verve, Blue Note, Warner Bros. |
| Website | brianblade |
Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) is an American jazz drummer, composer, and session musician. [1]
Born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana, [2] Blade was exposed to gospel and praise music [3] while attending Zion Baptist Church at which his father, Brady L. Blade Sr., was pastor. [4] Blade initially began learning violin and participated in the church choir, [3] an experience which Blade later acknowledged was influential in his musical development. [5] Following in the footsteps of his older brother, Brady Blade Jr., [6] Blade developed skills on the drum kit while 'depping' for his brother in the church band. [5] Soon after Blade shifted his focus to the drums throughout middle and high school. [7]
During high school, while studying with Dorsey Summerfield Jr., [6] Blade began listening to the music of John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk, and became increasingly influenced by the drumming styles of Elvin Jones, Art Blakey, Papa Jo Jones, and Paul Motian. [8] [5] By the age of eighteen, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. [9] From 1988 through 1993, he studied and played with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, including Johnny Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee Jr., Alvin Red Tyler, Tony Dagradi and Harold Battiste. [7] [5]
In 1992 Blade settled in New York and quickly cultivated a reputation as a 'first-call' drummer, [10] including sideman work for Kenny Garrett, Mark Turner, and Joshua Redman. [11] [12] In 1997, Blade formed The Fellowship Band with pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Chris Thomas, saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker, and pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley. [13] The band released its debut album in 1998, Brian Blade Fellowship , and emerged as an innovative proponent of new jazz throughout subsequent decades. [14] [15]
Reviewing the ensemble's 2014 Landmarks album, John Kelman wrote:
As the Fellowship Band has grown, it has moved away from overt traditional references, even though they're an undercurrent throughout. Instead, as it explores milestones both inner and outer, Landmarks further speaks with the singular voice that the Fellowship Band has built upon since inception. Blending folkloric references, hints of church and spiritual concerns, jazz modality and countrified touchstones, Landmarks is the perfect name for Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band's fourth album; beyond its meaning to the group, it truly is yet another landmark recording in the core quintet's evolutionary travels. It may have come after a long gap in time, but that only makes it a wait all the more worthwhile. [16]
While continuing his work with the Fellowship Band, Blade emerged as an ongoing member of Wayne Shorter's quartet, working with Shorter from 2000 until his death. [4] Shorter's quartet, also featuring Danilo Pérez and John Patitucci, [17] became widely revered by jazz critics for their "near-telepathic" musical symbiosis. [4] Blade's creative contribution to Shorter's quartet was frequently considered a key component of the group's creativity. [18] [19] [20] In addition to his collaborations with Wayne Shorter, Blade has remained an in demand drummer for the likes of Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Chick Corea, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Joni Mitchell, Ellis Marsalis Jr., Billy Childs, Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones, among many others. [21]
During his career Blade has often performed outside his usual musical idiom, recording with the likes of Marianne Faithfull, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, and Daniel Lanois. [20] [6] [22] In 2009, Blade released Mama Rosa, his first album as a singer-songwriter, [23] with songs dedicated to his grandmother and family. [24] The live band includes Steven Nistor on drums. [25]
On April 30, 2016, Blade played at the White House in Washington, D.C., as part of The International Jazz Day Global Concert. [26]
Blade uses vintage Gretsch, Ludwig, Sonor and Slingerland drums. He plays Canopus drums when touring in Japan. He has used a variety of cymbals over the years, including multiple ride cymbals made by Roberto Spizzichino, vintage A Zildjians, and often a 22" Zildjian K Constantinople Light Ride (discontinued model). His acoustic guitar is a mid-1950s Gibson LG-3. [29]
![Blade at INNtone Jazzfestival [de] 2006 Brian Blade.jpg](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0a/Brian_Blade.jpg/240px-Brian_Blade.jpg)
Trio with Wolfgang Muthspiel and Marc Johnson
Duo with Wolfgang Muthspiel
Trio with Chick Corea and Christian McBride
Trio with John Patitucci and André Marques
Trio with John Patitucci and Danilo Pérez
Trio with Benjamin Koppel and Scott Colley
Trio with Edward Simon and Scott Colley
Trio with Jeff Denson and Romain Pilon
Quartet with Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau and Christian McBride
Trio with Wolfgang Muthspiel and Scott Colley
Yaya3 with Joshua Redman and Sam Yahel
Black Dub with Trixie Whitley, Daniel Lanois and Daryl Johnson
With David Binney
With Billy Childs
With Kenny Garrett
With Darrell Grant
With Norah Jones
With Kiyoshi Kitagawa
With Daniel Lanois
With Ron Miles
With Joni Mitchell
With Wolfgang Muthspiel
With John Patitucci
With Joshua Redman
With Wayne Shorter
With Edward Simon
With Mark Turner
With Kenny Werner
| With others
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| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
