Brian Blade - Mama Rosa (2009)
Vocal Jazz, Folk | MP3 320 kbps CBR | 52 min | 120 MB
Label: Verve Forecast | Rel: 2009
After a lengthy gap between records with his Fellowship Band, drummer Brian Blade has stepped up the pace, following up the unmistakable sound of Season of Changes (Verve, 2008) with Mama Rosa. Blade temporarily deserts the folkloric jazz context of his longstanding group, instead delivering a singer/songwriter album that's just as compelling. Different in nature it may be, but in its own way it makes perfect sense for the introspective and deeply spiritual Blade. Blade's always had a penchant for song, even when working in longer form for Fellowship. He closed Perceptual (Blue Note, 2000) with the gentle "Trembling," his debut as a singer and invited Joni Mitchell to sing on the more dramatic "Steadfast." Both tracks drew a clear line from Blade's more expansive, jazz-centric writing and a penchant for simple melody and articulating his feelings with words as well as music.