Jazz Great Brian Blade Coming to Columbus Theatre

Jazz Great Brian Blade Coming to Columbus Theatre

The Columbus Theatre in Providence will be hosting its first ever live concert recording on Friday August 21 with acclaimed jazz musician Brian Blade and The Fellowship Band.

It’s a first for the eclectic theatre, which was once a popular opera house. It's also the first time newly commissioned Eyeland Studios at the Columbus Theatre is open to the public. The recording is expected to lead to a future album release from the revered jazz label Blue Note Records.

Live Recording

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Earlier this year, Blade played the Columbus supporting artist and producer extraordinaire Daniel Lanois. “He approached us asking about recording one of his own projects,” explained Jeff Prystowsky, part of the Columbus Cooperative and drummer in the Providence band, The Low Anthem.

The live recording provides some engineering challenges, but Prytowsky is confident it will come off without a hitch. “The theatre was built for operatic voice before the era of the PA, so the acoustics are phenomenal. It's a room made to sing in, on any instrument, but especially voice.”

Low Anthem co-founder Ben Knox Miller is also looking forward to the recording. He explains “Brian and Jim are really good drummers, but the theatre wasn’t built for drums. It was built for opera singers. Playing in there is like tickling the mouth of a cannon acoustically – you could get your head blown off if you don’t listen to the room teaching you what it needs. There is some mystery around this phenomenon, but it knows what it likes to sing.”

Prystowsky is excited about future live recordings scheduled for the Theatre. “Xylouris White is up next. They are a duo composed of Jim White (Dirty Three, Cat Power) on drums, and Giorgos Xylouris, a lute player from Crete. Two of the best drummers in the world back to back!”

Brain Blade Fellowship

Drummer Brian Blade is well known in the jazz world, having played with top artists including Ellis Marsalis, Wayne Shorter and Kenny Garrett. He’s also respected as a session musician, and has recorded with Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, the latter being a major influence on his style.

His band, The Fellowship is comprised of pianist Jon Cowherd, bassist Chris Thomas, saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, guitarist Jeff Parker, and pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley and guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Blade is a major figure in modern jazz, LA Weekly has called him “a fiery drummer whose textural, hyper-dynamic approach redefined jazz drumming for a new generation.” He’s a Louisiana native, and was raised in the tradition of New Orleans music under the tutelage of jazz patriarch Ellis Marsalis. He’s played countless sessions as a sideman, and recorded four albums with The Fellowship Band including last year’s Landmarks.

Eric in the Afternoon

Jazz fans around New England know the voice of Eric Jackson from his long running WGBH show “Eric in the Evening.” Jackson, a Providence native, is known as the “Dean of Boston jazz,” and is admired by artists and fans alike. Saturday afternoon, the day after the performance, he’ll be back at the Columbus moderating a Q&A “talkback” session with Blade. It's a special opportunity to be a part of a conversation with two major figures in contemporary jazz. The session is free to concert ticketholders, $5 otherwise.

Tickets for the Brain Blade Fellowship are available here for $20 in advance, $25 at the door. Doors open at 7PM, Music begins around 8PM.

Ken Abrams review roots, rock and jazz for GoLocal. E-Mail him here.