Alternate Take: The versatility of Detroit Jazz Festival’s Artist-In-Residence drummer Brian Blade
Liz Warner September 3, 2024Listen to “Alternate Take” with host Liz Warner every Thursday from 8-10 p.m. ET on Detroit Public Radio 101.9 WDET.
![](https://wdet.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Brian-Blade-Drummer.jpg)
Brian Blade might be the most versatile drummer to come out of jazz. He’s contributed his rhythmic prowess to some of the most recognized names in the jazz world, including Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny and Charles Lloyd. Playing alongside these giants, he supplies the finesse needed to complete complex arrangements — sometimes bombastic but often subtle.
It’s when Blade performs with musicians outside of the jazz world — like Daniel Lanois, Joni Mitchell, Beth Orton, Bob Dylan and Iron & Wine — that his movements and adaptability behind the kit shine in unexpected ways. Songwriters who are known in the folk, rock, and alternative circles are suddenly given a new light, and it often comes off like jazz.
With the invitation by Daniel Lanois, who he’s worked with on several projects, he helped usher in a new, more stylized era for Bob Dylan on his 1997 release, Time Out of Mind. But first, he assisted Emmylou Harris on her landmark Lanois-produced album Wrecking Ball (1995), giving “Where Will I Be” the steady pacing and musical latitude needed to help usher in a then-entirely-new genre of music called Americana.
Brian Blade is the foundation for one of Joni Mitchell’s brightest moments “Harlem in Havana,” and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else handling the song with the same level of grace. By the time he worked with Iron & Wine and Beth Orton, perhaps his magic touch was expected. Nonetheless, he creates a welcomed atmosphere at a time when these songwriters were open to changes in songwriting and style.
Blade performed on three occasions at the 2024 Detroit Jazz Festival as the Artist-In-Residence. Watch Brian Blade and the Fellowship Band perform with the Detroit Jazz Festival Jazz Orchestra during the final night of the fest below.
Get ready to take a musical journey through his catalog with me on this edition of Alternate Take. See the playlist below and listen to the episode on-demand for two weeks after it airs using the media player above.
Alternate Take Playlist for Aug. 29, 2024:
Spotlight on Brian Blade:
• “Most Precious One/Most Precious One (Prodigy)” – Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
• “Frozen” – Daniel Lanois
• “Grass Widows” – Iron & Wine
• “Zero Gravity to the 10th Power” – The Wayne Shorter Quartet
• “Chicago Blues” – Joshua Redman
• “Friends Call Her Dot” – Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band
• “Dawn Chorus” – Beth Orton
• “Change of Heart” – Pat Metheny Trio
• “Puerto Rican Rumble” – Koppel/Blade/Koppel
• “Harlem in Havana” – Joni Mitchell
• “The Poet (live)” – Hancock/Brecker/Hargrove
• “Not Dark Yet” – Bob Dylan
• “Silly Little Love Song” – Joshua Redman, Brad Mehldau, Christian McBride, Brian Blade
• “Maria” – Jane Siberry
• “Defiant, Tender Warrior” – Charles Lloyd
• “Where Will I Be” – Emmylou Harris
(end of Spotlight on Brian Blade)
• “Satori” – Kraig Kilby
• “Let’s Talk” – Shigeto, Kesswa, Ahya Simone, Ian Fink, Calvin Scruggs