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Brian Blade
Brian Blade performing August 9, 2008
Background information
Born	(1970-07-25)July 25, 1970 Shreveport, Louisiana United States
Genres	Jazz, alternative rock, blues rock, jazz fusion
Occupations	Musician, bandleader, composer
Instruments	Drums, percussion, guitar, violin, recorder
Labels	Nonesuch, Columbia, Verve, Blue Note, Warner Bros.
Website	www.brianblade.com

Brian Blade (born July 25, 1970) in Shreveport, Louisiana is an American jazz drummer, composer, session musician, and singer-songwriter.^[1]

Biography [link]

Early years [link]

As a young boy, Blade grew up in a home in Shreveport, Louisiana in which he frequently heard Gospel music and soul music. In elementary school, his music appreciation classes furthered this musical upbringing, and at age nine he began playing the violin; he continued to do so until age thirteen, when he, inspired by his brother, Brady Blade, Jr., became a drummer.^[2]

During highschool Brian 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. During this period, he was able to study and play with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, such as: 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.^[2] Blade made his first recorded appearances as a sideman with Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman and continued to work in that capacity with other musicians.

Fellowship Band, Friendly Travelers and sideman work [link]

In 1998, Brian Blade formed Brian Blade Fellowship with pianist Jon Cowherd. Also joining the group were saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker, pedal steel Guitarist Dave Easley, and bassist Chris Thomas. This group released their self-titled debut album before replacing Parker with guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel for 1999's Perceptual. Easley then departed before 2008's Season of Changes, which was released under the name Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band.

While continuing to work with the Fellowship Band, Blade has been a member of Wayne Shorter's most recent quartet. He has continued working as a studio musician and has recorded with Joni Mitchell, Bill Frisell, Ellis Marsalis, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Bob Dylan, Dorothy Scott, Billy Childs, Chris Potter and David Binney. He has also played with Herbie Hancock and has been involved with guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel in the duo Friendly Travelers, who released their self-titled debut album in 2007. Recently, he has teamed up with Trixie Whitley (daughter of Chris Whitley), Daniel Lanois, and others in the band Black Dub.

Singer-songwriter work [link]

In 2009, Blade released his first album as a singer-songwriter, Mama Rosa. The album features Daniel Lanois and many of his bandmates from the Fellowship Band.^[3]

Equipment [link]

Blade primarily uses vintage Gretsch drums, but has been known to tour with a Canopus Club Kit in Japan. His primary Gretsch kit for many years was a silver sparkle 1960s Round Badge in a "Progressive Jazz" configuration, but included an extremely rare 16" diameter bass drum. Only a handful were made in the 60s. In the mid 2000s he acquired another exceedingly rare kit - a Cadillac green nitron, Birdland house kit built in the 1950s. This kit included a more tradition Progressive Jazz 20" diameter bass drum and is arguably one of the rarest vintage drum sets in existence.

Discography [link]

Blade at INNtöne Jazzfestival 2006

As leader [link]

• Brian Blade Fellowship (Blue Note, 1998)
• Perceptual (Blue Note, 2000)
• Season of Changes (Verve, 2008)
• Mama Rosa (Verve Forecast, 2009)

As co-leader [link]

Trio with Wolfgang Muthspiel and Marc Johnson

• Real Book Stories (Quinton, 2001)
• Air, Love and Vitamins (Quinton, 2004)

Duo with Wolfgang Muthspiel

• Friendly Travelers (Material, 2007)
• Friendly Travelers Live (Material, 2008)

As sideman [link]

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

With Joshua Redman

• Compass
• Back East
• Mood Swing
• Freedom in the Groove
• Spirit of the Moment - Live at the Village Vanguard
• Timeless Tales for Changing Times
• Elastic (with Joshua Redman Elastic Band)
• Momentum
• Yaya3

With Wayne Shorter

• Footprints Live! (Verve, 2002)
• Alegria (Verve, 2003)
• Beyond the Sound Barrier (Verve, 2005)

With others

• 1996 - Kenny Garrett: Pursuance: Music of John Coltrane (Warner)
• 1997 - Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind (Columbia)
• 1998 - David Berkman: Handmade (Palmetto)
• 1998 - Joni Mitchell: Painting with Words and Music (DVD, Eagle Rock)
• 2006 - John Patitucci: Line by Line (JVC Victor/Concord)
• 2001 - Chris Potter: Gratitude (Verve)
• 2001 - David Binney: South (ACT)
• 2002 - Charlie Haden: American Dreams (Verve)
• 2002 - Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, and Roy Hargrove: Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall (Verve)
• 2003 - Daniel Lanois: Shine (ANTI-)
• 2004 - David Binney: Welcome to Life (Mythology)
• 2006 - Kenny Garrett: Beyond the Wall (Nonesuch)
• 2010 - Daniel Lanois: Black Dub (Red Ink)
• 2010 - Scott Colley: Empire (Cam Jazz)
• 2011 - David Binney: Graylen Epicenter (Mythology)
• 2012 - Rolf and Joachim Kühn Quartet: Lifeline (Boutique)

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official site

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