Brian BLADE (Jazz Hot 616)

Born in Shreveport Louisiana in 1970 Brian Blade is in fact a son of New-Orleans since he has made all his studies in that city of jazz. He has always felt New-Orleans as a huge instrument, which by the simple fact of living there taught you more about jazz than any other means. He definitely has this new-orleans feeling, and his drumming is rooted in that story. In the new Wayne Shorter Quartet, which takes up again with the new-orleans counterpoint improvisation, he has developped a particuliar drumming, really difficult to describe with words, made of ruptures, explosions and listenings, which builds the squeleton of the structure, giving out a swing both light and deep. He reinvents the drumming.
He is a calm, thoughtful, humble young man, with apparently a single target in his life : to play jazz, and completely happy to be part of this already mythical Wayne Shorter Quartet.
We made this interview just after the brilliant concert in front of a huge and captivated audience at the Estoril Festival 2003.


Jazz Hot : How did you happen to play the set of drums ?
My brother, Ferddy, is a drummer, he’s 5 years older, and I sort of followed him. We both started playing in church, my father is a minister, so that environment was a great way to gain a sort of relationship with music.

I suppose that was gospel music ?
Yes.

So, the set of drums was your first instrument ?
In fact the violin was my first instrument in school, I was in the fifth grade I believe, so I was 9 or 10. I started playing drums when I was about 13.

Why the drums, was it because of your brother ?
Yes, definitely. It was very unconscious you know, sort of following him. Then it evolved in something I loved doing, and I still do !

Where did you learn, in school or with a private teacher ?
Partly. Really I learnt in church before by watching, like I said that environment is a forgiving one, people aren’t expecting you to be a genius, only to give your spirit to the whole assembly, that’s what I would like to do…

Who were your masters at the beginning?
At the beginning I was just listening to whatever was on the radio. Steve Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, but Al Green initially. But then I met John Coltrane’s music, then I started to see the connection between those musics that I often separated by gender titles, then Miles Davis’ music, it all became a listening experience.

But among the drummers ?
Elvin Jones, Ol Jackson, Art Blakey…

Did you try to imitate somebody at that time ?
Well, I tried to learn a lot of what they played on records. Art Blakey, and Elvin, his first things. But I played a lot of gigs which gave me the opportunity to try to find my own voice more and more, to take chances, while having those people who created those sounds as a point of reference. Still I think, Tony Williams.

What was the greatest moment in your musical life, up to now ?
This opportunity is definitely one, to play with Wayne (Shorter), with John ( Patitucci) and Danilo (Perez), a great honor for me. And to make music with Joni Mitchell, very important to me. It’s all been such a blessing to make somebody friends, to make music with them, it’s very important to me.

Do you especially like to play with a singer ?
I do, very much, especially with Joni Mitchell because her delivery of story and her harmonic genius is very inspiring for me, and rythmically too.

I suppose it’s different backing a singer than playing in a group ?
In a way, but not necessarily, I think essentially I’m still trying to do the same things, accentuate the piece that I am forced, even if it’s a lyrical story, or a melodic story. I think I am still doing the same things, basically, architecture…

You didn’t attend one of these big schools like Berklee, etc., did you  ?
I didn’t, but sometimes I wish I had. In a word, I went to school in New-Orleans, and in the university of New-Orleans, just being in that city was like playing an instrument.

The city of jazz !
Exactly ! It taught me so much just by being there. All places have a pulse, have a beat, you’re just in it.

With the ghosts of the first great creators of jazz !
I often think about it.

You have a very special drumming with Wayne Shorter, did you work especially on it?
Well, I guess I didn’t work on it so specifically, no, I think every situation gives you another opportunity to develop in some way, even if it’s not a great opportunity, but this one is ! In a way I think I’ve been preparing my whole life for the moment, and Wayne gives so much freedom to all of us, and allows us the…well, first to trust each other, to take the chances, and to be brave enough not to rely on devices, but actually trying to create music together. That’s great !

Did Wayne ask you for a special drumming, or are you totally free to find it by yourself ?
I’m totally free. Actually he never dictates anything in words so much, but obviously I’m always trying to listen to him as much as I can, to what he’s playing. Even in silence he’s giving a lot. So, it’s a challenge. It’s really a great experiment to play with him, and with John and Danilo, we’re learning so much.

I know pretty well Danilo’s music, but his playing with Wayne is quite different from what it was before ?
Yes, I think we’ve all grown a lot since beginning this. In so many ways. Spiritually it’s so appealing to do it that we have all changed. So as we grow as human beings I think actually the music holds us hand in hand, being that, it’s what we do.

It has evolved, I heard you three years ago in Toulon, and the music was a lot different from this one. I think it’s more melodic now ?
Wow ! That’s interesting because I thought it was more abstract. It’s great, I think that Wayne is inspired to… well to me he’s one of the greatest composers that I have ever been able to hear, and so it’s very exciting to built the work on stage with him every night. Here I’m trying to compose together as a group, it’s such an honor. Perhaps there is more melodic gravity, but within the context of the improvisations, or balance between the two approches, that’s great !

How do you conceive the role of the set of drums with the bass ?
Oh John and I…By our relationship I think... A lot of times the rythm section relationship is difficult, sometimes you have to talk a lot about what we need to do, what’s need to be done, but with John and I there wasn’t anything to really talk about, we have just a sort of kindred understanding to how to move forward together, we know how to support and also be free. So I think he’s alwa ys very conscious of the feeling as I hopefully am, then he knows it, and Wayne as well, so we are just trying to play with this much conviction together.

You say that Wayne writes the music, but there are large parts of improvisations, aren’t there ?
Well, I think with him, I will always refer to him, because he’s leading us, but then…not in a typical sense, because of the relationship he wanted to be a quality in our voices, structures, not only with each piece, but the entire experience, so any one can take the lead of the speak. But Wayne’s writing is perfect as it is to me on paper. I think he likes to destroy, to deconstruct ideas, and see these things go other directions, which is also quite…(Silence.)

Isn’t it a sort of counterpoint with four voices?
I would agree with you. It’s been a unique experience to be in a group like this, and to not be afraid of that, not to just play a song, and stop, and then to just play another song. It’s been challenging.

That’s what I like with this quartet. I’m always surprised.
Me too ! (Laughs)

Do you still play in other groups now ?
Mostly this is mainly what I’m doing.

Don’t you have a group of your own ?
I did have a group of my own, but I haven’t been able to dedicate much time to it in the last couple of years because I really wanted to dedicate to this part, playing with Wayne, Danilo and John. So…But I’ve been writing, and I plan to keep recording and playing.

Now a difficult question : what’s jazz for you ?
Jazz for me is the opportunity to express yourself with your music, knowing that the improvisation, and what that word jazz represents, you think of Louis Armstrong, you think of John Coltrane, you think of Billy Holiday, you think of Wayne Shorter, so to me it’s the consciousness of all of those spirits who put themselves on recording, and all those famous people for so many years, and made lots of sacrifices, and you are also becoming part of them, and carrying on, with a certain liberty.

So you think that nowadays a young jazz musician has to know the tradition, the history of this music ?
Absolutely ! It’s very important. As it is just to be a human being in this world, we have to be aware of what’s going on around us, and what in a way has brought you to this point.

According to you, what is the specificity of jazz, comparing to other musics ?
I think it’s the improvisational possibilities, the unknown that it allows you to embrace. There’s not…well there is structure, but within that structure and without that structure you have music that can be made. It doesn’t have to be sort of fixed three minutes single. It can be something very different from that, and it can also be that. I think it compromises more of all genders of music than say to one form. It’s a very wide idea, how to put it into words !

But isn’t there an element that typically belongs to jazz, because improvisation exists in practically all the musics ?
Yes, I think so. Well, for me it’s…(long thought)…a sort of the…the collisions, and also the recoveries that it presents. I think, for me you know, Elvin Jones being one of my great inspiration, to hear a sound, even just one strike of the cymbal, what that tone projects, the idea is not abstract, idea in a way I can put in litteral term, I think it’s a feeling…it’s…

Isn’t it what we call swing ?
It is swing, but that’s almost too small of the word. It can be without time in a way. There’s always pulsation but swing is something…a groove you know, it’s really something that’s beating inside of us, it comes and goes. I can’t describe it, but It’s something that inspires us. It’s a lift in this life.

Do you like to play solos ?
Well…well, sure, but only at that point of inspiration, you know, never in a typical way, sort of it’s my turn now. I don’t like to think it that way, I like for it to happen in an organic way, when the music tells it is the moment now. That’s what’s great about this quartet, it allows us those moments of group improvisation but also the individuality to know when to step out, and…speak for a while.

Do the other musicians feel that you are about to play a solo ? How does it happen ?
You know, it’s always uncertain every night, but I think since we’re also connected to each other that we, Danilo, or John, or Wayne can say to themselves let’s support it. But a lot of time at the same time we’re saying things like conversations happening all over. The word right at this moment is that we speak, even if we don’t feel it. Wayne has his idea of this multiplicity in voices coming and going. So I think the quartet embraces this idea, not necessarily stopping and going for one another but connecting with each other a lot. I mean in my own mind. I think there are successes and failures, but that’s life also.

Yes, we have to take risks to live.
Yes, absolutely.

Do you see an evolution in jazz now ?
I definitely do. I guess there are so much that came before that maybe we haven’t experienced directly…well we have, if we hear something we have experienced it, or we go to a place and really see things and really hear things, and listen. Then somewhat becomes a part of you. So you express it in what you do, hopefully. To be a musician you see that privilege too, to be able to give it back. So the music is evolving as people are evolving. Sit with each other, come to play music together, it’s going to evolve, I think, naturally. The music never died, it’s a constant.

Danilo is very interested by the impressionists like Satie, Debussy, Fauré, even John, what about you?
Well, I don’t know a lot of Debussy’s music, but I have been inspired by a lot of Europeans composers, like Igor Stravinsky, or by the Americans like Aaron Copland a music that touches me a lot, and Chopin…There is so much to embrace, to hear…

Serge Baudot

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