/
RSS Feed
Brian Blade is widely regarded as one of the most influential and versatile drummers of his generation, celebrated for his deep musicality, ability to transcend genres, and collaborations with some of the most iconic artists in modern music.
Blade was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. The first music he experienced was the Gospel and songs of praise at the Zion Baptist Church, where his father, Brady L. Blade Sr., has served as Pastor since 1961. In elementary school, music appreciation classes played a pivotal role in his development, and at age nine, he began playing the violin. Inspired by his older brother, Brady L. Blade Jr., who had been the drummer at Zion Baptist Church, Brian transitioned his focus to drums during middle and high school.
While in high school, studying with Dorsey Summerfield Jr., Brian immersed himself in the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell. At eighteen, he moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. From 1988 through 1993, he studied and performed with many of New Orleans’ master musicians, including John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Emile Vinette, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee Jr., Alvin “Red” Tyler, Tony Dagradi, and Harold Battiste.
In 1997, Blade formed The Fellowship Band with pianist Jon Cowherd. The group features bassist Chris Thomas, saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, and has released five acclaimed recordings: their debut in 1998, Perceptual in 2000, Season of Changes in 2008, Landmarks in 2014, and Body and Shadow in 2017.
Alongside his work with The Fellowship Band, Blade had been a member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet since 2000 up until Shorter’s passing. His extensive recording credits also include collaborations with Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Kenny Garrett, Ellis Marsalis, Chick Corea, Marianne Faithfull, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, and Bob Dylan.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.