Kimmel Center's Mellon Jazz up Close Roots of Jazz Series Continues with Brian Blade Fellowship on February 10

The Kimmel Center's Mellon Jazz Up Close Roots of Jazz Series continues with Spirituals: Brian Blade Fellowship in Perelman Theater on Saturday, February 10, 2007 at 7:30pm. New Orleans-based jazz drummer and composer Brian Blade has been hailed by Peter Watrous of the New York Times as “one of jazz's best young drummers." Blade's scorching cymbal rhythms and percussion prowess combined with the dual guitar, saxophone and electric piano rhythms of his fellowship take audiences on a spiritual journey of lyrical, introspective jazz. Brian Blade Fellowship will skillfully weave their way through slow-burning improvisational sets found in the exotic, stark mood of “Mojave," to the resonant drumming, unusual harmonies, and incendiary group swing in the spiritual centerpiece, “Folklore."

An Artist Chat will take place with Brian Blade and Kimmel Center's Vice President of Programming and Education Mervon Mehta at the intermission of the ticketed performance in the Perelman Theater.

This is the third concert in the Kimmel Center's Mellon Jazz Up Close series curated by Danilo Prez. The next concert in this series is Crescent City Gospel with Wycliffe Gordon on Saturday, March 10, 2007 at 7:30pm.

Tickets for Spirituals: Brian Blade Fellowship on February 10, 2007 at 8pm in Perelman Theater are priced at $43 and $37 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at www.kimmelcenter.org, or at the Kimmel Center box office, open daily from 10am to 6pm and later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group sales call 215-893-5883.

A limited number of $10 tickets are available for every Kimmel Center Presents performance at the Kimmel Center. Tickets go on sale the day of the event and can be purchased at the Kimmel Center box office beginning 2.5 hours prior to curtain time and 11:30am for matinees. Limit one ticket per person.

Brian Blade's unique drumming styles have been at the forefront of pioneering a new wave of New Orleans-based Dixie music. Blade has recorded with Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Daniel Lanois and Joni Mitchell. He toured with Joshua Redman and Kenny Garrett before forming the Brian Blade Fellowship. Dedicated to creating music without borders, and invoking a sense of connectedness through harmony, the Brian Blade Fellowship is filled with the spirituality, sensitivity, honesty, and loyalty- all traits thematically woven into their work together. Rather than following the course of the notes on a page, the Brian Blade Fellowship breathes life to music through their instruments without being slaves to the composition.

The music of the Brian Blade Fellowship encompasses a wide range of jazz styles from across the world. Blade's unique drumming and passion for his craft is seen as he skillfully leads the Fellowship from behind his drum set without any over the top showmanship. The Brian Blade Fellowship released its first CD in 1998, self-titled, and a follow-up CD in 2000, Perceptual. Fellowship members include: Jon Cowherd on piano and Wurlitzer, bassist Christopher Thomas, Melvin Butler on tenor and soprano sax, Myron Walden on alto sax, guitarist Jeff Parker; and Dave Easley on pedal steel guitar.

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, among others. He studied under New Orleans Dixie-drum masters Johnny Vidacovich and Herlin Riley, as well as Ellis Marsalis. With Marsalis, Blade traveled to England and studied with jazz saxophonist Courtney Pine.

As a member of the Wayne Shorter Quartet, along with Danilo Prez and John Pattitucci, his recording with the group, Beyond the Sound Barrier, won a Grammy Award in 2006.

Kimmel Center Presents' 2006/2007 season is supported by: Mellon Financial Corporation, University of Pennsylvania Health System, National Endowment for the Arts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, ARC Wheeler, The William Penn Foundation, The Wachovia Foundation, Verizon Foundation, The Presser Foundation, Philadelphia Music Project and Dance Advance, Initiatives of The Pew Charitable Trust administered by The University of the Arts. American Airlines is the Official Airline of Kimmel Center Presents. Toyota is the Official Vehicle of Kimmel Center Presents Jazz and World Pop programming. NBC-10 is a Media Partner for Kimmel Center Presents. The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Daily News, and Philly.com are media sponsors for the Great Orchestras on Tour series.

KIMMEL CENTER PRESENTS

Mello Jazz Up Close: Roots of Jazz
Saturday, February 10, 2007 | 7:30pm
Perelman Theater

Spirituals: Brian Blade Fellowship

Brian Blade, drums
Jon Cowherd, piano
Christopher Thomas, bass
Melvin Butler, saxophone
Myron Walden, alto saxophone
Jeff Parker, guitar
Dave Easley, pedal steel guitar