Anyone who has driven through the southern Badlands knows that the states of Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana are one long stretch of skewed Americana. These broad expanses of flatlands and farm towns give rise to jazz, rock 'n' roll, blues, zydeco, Dixieland, R&B, boogie woogie, and gospel, a cauldron of music borne from slave rhythms and gospel shouts. Coming from Shreveport, Louisiana, Brian Blade is the talented heir to many southern traditions. Soft-spoken and deeply gracious, he handles straight-ahead, R&B, Dixieland, and pop with equal ease and an individual voice. The son of a Baptist minister, Blade's journey from violinist to tennis pro to drummer has been one of faith, conviction, and abundant natural talent.

Nurtured under the watchful eyes of Ellis Marsalis and New Orleans Dixie- drum masters Johnny Vidacovich and Herlin Riley, Brian learned to find his "knit in the blanket" of sounds and styles. Speaking with Brian you discover his turn of phrase is not limited to drumming, that his way with words is equal to his gift of rhythms.

As a youngster growing up in Shreveport, then New Orleans, Louisiana, Brian Blade distilled the unique drumming styles and musical heritage of the nation's spiritual underbelly into a powerfully swinging percussive trademark. Playing drums in his father's church after an initial interest in the violin, Blade immersed himself in the work of Elvin Jones, Tony Williams, Jeff Porcaro, Levon Helm, Roy Haynes, Paul Motian, Sam Woodyard, even Keith Moon. He transcribed solos by Elvin ( " All or Nothing At All" from Coltrane's Ballads), and Max Roach ("Blueswalk" by the Roach/Brown Quintet). Moving to New Orleans when he was seventeen, Blade's perspective became broader and deeper. When not gigging with Christopher Thomas and Nicholas Payton, he studied with David Lee Jr. and Johnny Vidacovich, and came under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis, who took Blade to England where they toured with saxophonist Courtney Pine. Blade also dipped into New Orleans culture, playing in street parades, clubs, and coffeehouses throughout the crescent city.

Ask Brian Blade, who at 29, is already a seasoned veteran of many prestigious albums and tours, what he needs to hear in music, and with characteristic sensitivity and humility he replies, "It's more like what I need to feel in it. I want to be touched by texture, the thick and thin of it." During Blade's numerous sessions his intense musicianship has touched many. Joshua Redman has called him "The drummer of the future, while Pat Metheny has said, "Brian has a quality only the really great guys have, the ultimate commodity in a rhythm section player, he can create a vibe. He has his own thing." Kenny Garrett sums it up well, saying " Brian is very spiritual and that is reflected in his music. "

And back in his New Orleans-groove bag-o-tricks, Blade maneuvers the Dixie press roll on the self-titled New Orleans collective, kicks in a spooky, spacious backbeat on Daniel Lanois' Sling Blade, and even plays sweetly on Emmylou Harris's Wrecking Ball. His evolution continued on his Blue Note debut, Brian Blade Fellowship . "On this record, I wanted to represent the group as best as possible." Blade explains. He finally got a chance to take all that musical knowledge and record it with a band of players he fondly calls the fellowship. The recording, produced by friend Daniel Lanois and recorded by Mark Howard, was Brian's first recording as a leader. And so the Brian Blade Fellowship was born.

The Fellowships' live performance linineup 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; Kurt Rosenwinkel, guitar; and Dave Easley, pedal steel guitar.

From recording with Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Emmylou Harris to performing on tour with Seal, Brian Blade has shown deep musical instincts and a phenomenal gift for playing music texturally-both and thick and thin-on the drums.

Spirituality, sensitivity, honesty, loyalty, all these traits feed the theme of 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 fellowship is something I grew up with. I just want to extend the good memories."