Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band

GRAMMY-winning drummer and composer Brian Blade brings back The Fellowship Band to perform music from across their seven studio releases. 

Easily one of the most versatile and soulful musicians in jazz, Blade grew up as the son of a Baptist pastor in Shreveport, Louisiana and was immersed in gospel music from his birth. He formed the Fellowship in 1997 with pianist and fellow Loyola student Jon Cowherd, releasing a series of increasingly accomplished sessions culminating in his 2023 session on his own Stoner Hill imprint, Kings Highway. Featuring Blade, Cowherd, saxophonists Melvin Butler and Myron Walden, and bassist Christopher Thomas, The Fellowship is recognized for a “sound that echoes grace and unity” (The New York Times). 

As Blade was developing his own musical identity as a bandleader, he became an increasingly in-demand sideman and band member, cultivating long-term associations with Joshua Redman, Joni Mitchell, Kenny Garrett, Daniel Lanois, Bill Frisell, and Chick Corea, with whom he earned a GRAMMY. In 2000, Blade began his most visible and fruitful partnership as a member of jazz legend Wayne Shorter’s all-star quartet, touring the world and recording four albums with the saxophonist, including the GRAMMY-winning 2013 release, Without a Net. 

The Fellowship band returns to SFJAZZ for their first performance since 2018.