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 Sunday, 19 May 2013 |
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Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band at Yoshi's in San Francisco, September 22 |
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Written by Ronaldo Oregano
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Tuesday, 16 September 2008 |
 Brian Blade © Carl Spataro
Renowned drummer/composer Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band come to Yoshi's in San Fransico on Monday, September 22nd. The Fellowship band includes the formidable talents of pianist and composer Jon Cowherd, Chris Thomas (bass), Myron Walden (alto saxophone, bass clarinet), Melvin Butler (tenor saxophone) and Brin Bladr (drums). The Fellowship's latest album, Season of Change, features nine moving new works by Blade and Cowherd, and offers a compelling distillation of the compositional eloquence and collective chemistry that have made Blade and his longtime bandmates one of contemporary jazz's most respected ensembles. In recent years, he's balanced his Fellowship activities with his parallel career as one of today's most in-demand drummers, with a resume that includes recording and/or live work with a broad range of musical artists that includes Daniel Lanois, Bob Dylan, Bill Frisell, Kenny Garrett, Emmylou Harris, Joni Mitchell, Joshua Redman, Seal and Wayne Shorter.
Brian Blade was born on July 25, 1970 in Shreveport, Louisiana. In 1988, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. It was at this time that Brian would become friends with Jon Cowherd. Both Brian and Jon were able to study and play with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, including: John 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.
 Jon Cowherd © John Rogers
There were many inspiring musicians living and visiting New Orleans who helped Brian in his development. Some of these friends are Chris Thomas, Peter Martin, Nicholas Payton, Antoine Drye, Martin Butler, Delfeayo Marsalis, Joshua Redman, Harry Connick, Jr., Gray Mayfield, Marcus Roberts, Victor Goines and Daniel Lanois.
In 1998, Brian and Jon Cowherd began recording their own music with the group Fellowship. The band members are Chris Thomas, Myron Walden, Kurt Rosenwinkel and Melvin Butler. Since 2000, Brian has been part of the Wayne Shorter Quartet with Danilo Perez and John Patitucci.
Brian Blade grew up in Shreveport, then New Orleans, where he distilled the unique drumming styles and musical heritage of the nation's spiritual underbelly into a powerfully swinging percussive trademark. Nurtured under the watchful eyes of Ellis Marsalis and New Orleans Dixie-drum masters Johnny Vidacovich and Herlin Riley, Blade learned to find his 'knit in the blanket' of sounds and styles.
From albums and tours with Joshua Redman and Kenny Garrett, to recent recordings with Bob Dylan (Time Out Of Mind), Emmylou Harris (Wrecking Ball), Daniel Lanois (Sling Blade) and hero Joni Mitchell, Brian has shown deep musical instincts and a phenomenal gift for playing music texturally -- both thick and thin -- on the drums. His evolution continues on his astounding, highly acclaimed Blue Note debut, Brian Blade Fellowship. The line-up of Fellowship, Brian's band, is as potent as its leader's musical skills: Jon Cowherd, piano and Wurlitzer, Christopher Thomas on bass, Melvin Butler, tenor and soprano sax, Myron Walden, alto sax, Jeff Parker, guitar; and Dave Easley, pedal steel guitar. This self-titled album was produced by Daniel Lanois who also guested on the album playing mando-guitar and Fender Mustang guitar; Mark Howard recorded and mixed at The Teatro in Oxnard, California.
Brian Blade makes music that exists beyond borders. Spirituality, sensitivity, honesty, loyalty, all these traits feed the theme of the Brian Blade Fellowship. "I want the music to be a fellowship. That's what you want from the world as a whole. I want the music to project that kind of togetherness. This ideal of fellowship is something I grew up with. I just want to extend the good memories."
buographic info adapted from http://www.brianblade.com.
Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band will perform for one night on Minday, September 22 at Yoshi’s in San Francisco (1330 Fillmore). Tickets for the 8 pm show are $16 and the10 pm show is only $10. Visit www.yoshis.com for ticket information.
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