Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.[1]
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Brian Blade | |
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![]() Blade at the 2014 Monterey Jazz Festival | |
Background information | |
Born | (1970-07-25) July 25, 1970 (age 52) Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
Genres | Jazz, alternative rock, blues rock, jazz fusion |
Occupation(s) | Musician, bandleader, composer |
Instrument(s) | Drums, percussion, guitar, violin, recorder |
Labels | Nonesuch, Columbia, Verve, Blue Note, Warner Bros. |
Website | brianblade |
Blade was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. The first music he experienced was gospel and songs of praise at the Zion Baptist Church where his father, Brady L. Blade Sr., has been the pastor for fifty-two years. In elementary school, music appreciation classes were an important part of his development and at age nine, he began playing the violin. Inspired by his older brother, Brady Blade Jr., who had been the drummer at Zion Baptist Church, Blade shifted his focus to the drums throughout middle and high school.[2]
During high school, while studying with Dorsey Summerfield Jr., Blade began listening to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell. By the age of eighteen, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. 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.[2]
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. The band released its debut album, Brian Blade Fellowship, in 1998, Perceptual (with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel) in 2000, Season of Changes in 2008, Landmarks in 2014, and Body and Shadow in 2017.
Reviewing the band'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.[3]
While continuing to work with the Fellowship Band, since 2000 Blade has also been a member of Wayne Shorter's quartet. Blade grew up listening to Shorter's albums, and started playing with Shorter at 30 years old, along with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci.[4] He has also recorded with Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Ellis Marsalis, Marianne Faithfull, Emmylou Harris, Billy Childs, Herbie Hancock, and Bob Dylan.
In 2009, Blade released Mama Rosa, his first album as a singer-songwriter, with songs dedicated to his grandmother and family. The album featured Daniel Lanois, vocalists Kelly Jones and Daryl Johnson, bassist Chris Thomas, guitarists Kurt Rosenwinkel and Geoffrey Moore, pedal steel guitarists Greg Leisz and Patrick Smith, and pianists Aaron Embry and Jon Cowherd. It was co-produced by Brian Blade and Adam Samuels.[5] The live band includes Steven Nistor on drums.[6]
On April 30, 2016, Blade played at the White House in Washington, D.C., as part of The International Jazz Day Global Concert.[7]
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 from 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.
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
SFJAZZ Collective
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
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With Wayne Shorter
With Edward Simon
With Mark Turner
With Kenny Werner
With others
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