Three Stars: Brad Linde

Saxophonist/pianist Brad Linde

Over the past five or ten years, the District has seen an infusion of talented young jazz musicians, with many players being products of the fine music programs found at the area's universities. Saxophonist/composer/educator Brad Linde is part of this new crop, and in a relatively short period of time he has become a familiar face in the local scene.

Linde began his formal jazz training at Elon College and the University of North Carolina, where he immersed himself in jazz history by studying the greats. Legends such as Sonny Stitt, Coleman Hawkins, Miles Davis, and Thelonius Monk are all among his numerous influences. After three years of study at UNC, and a summer of study in New York, he relocated to this area to study for his master's degree at the University of Maryland. In College Park, he taught courses, founded the school's repertory jazz ensemble, managed the Take Five concert series (a hidden gem) at the UMD's Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. During this time he also began studying with Lee Konitz, the great alto saxophonist who was a member of Miles Davis's Birth of the Cool sessions and went on to become a driving force in the "cool jazz" movement during the 50s and 60s.

As a professional, Linde has played throughout the east coast, Europe, and regularly appears at the area's best clubs. The groups he leads include a nonet that recreates the Birth of the Cool experience and an octet that specializes in 1950s bebop. While rooted in tradition, Linde is not interested in simply preserving the music of the past. Rather, he explores the classic jazz repetoire and finds a way to present it in a new light.

Linde's career is now in transition and 2009 holds much in store for the up-and-comer. He is launching several projects which stand to increase his stature locally, and in the broader jazz community. DCist interviewed Linde to find out more about his plans for the upcoming year and beyond.

Visit Brad online: www.bradlinde.com

Brad plays at:: Sunday brunch at Chef Geoff's; Monday nights at Bohemian Caverns with Thad Wilson's big band; February 23 at Blues Alley

Questions for Brad:

What are some of the notable gigs you have coming up?

This year is shaping up to have some of the best gigs of my career. On Monday, February 23, my ensemble will be performing at Blues Alley. The performance will celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall. This ten-piece band will perform transcriptions of the original arrangements Hall Overton did for Monk, and we will premiere new works and arrangements written specifically for the ensemble.

In March, I have the great pleasure of hosting the legendary hardbop pianist Freddie Redd here on the East Coast. Freddie recorded for Blue Note in the 1960s with Jackie McLean, Paul Chambers and Louis Hayes, and his score was featured in the Living Theatre's production of The Connection. Freddie will be performing at Twins Jazz on Wednesday, March 25 and then the following Friday and Saturday with me in New York at Smalls Jazz Club in Greenwich Village.

Another exciting project is planned for later in the year with Birth of the Cool alumnus, Lee Konitz. Using the same instrumentation from the Birth of the Cool nonet, we are going to arrange some of his compositions and favorite standards--an updated repertoire for the band that Lee was a part of 60 years ago.

What is your approach to music, in terms of both playing and composing? How does the ensemble you are working with affect your mindset, both as a player and a writer?

My approach to music has been consistent for some time now. I have always loved swing and bebop styles of jazz, and my music is derived from that love. I have always considered myself a jazz musician first. I have written a handful of tunes and I have arranged, but I don't consider myself a composer. Most of my compositions are in the style of my bebop heroes. Early in my career I wanted to play bebop as best I could.

Meeting Lee Konitz was monumental for me. Lee saved me from getting caught up in the "showbiz" side of music. Lee taught me to really listen to what I am playing, to slow down and make sure that I mean each note.

I started my ensemble to better express the way I hear my music. I have a deep respect for the history and tradition of jazz. I try to make my voice heard anytime I play, no matter what the situation is.

What are your short and long term plans as far as your music is concerned? Any upcoming recordings or tours?

Right now I want to play as much as possible and continue to explore my favorite composers, players and styles. By learning as much as possible about my heroes, I can better express myself in their language and also communicate it to students, audiences, and band members.

I am planning on recording my ensemble this summer to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Birth of the Cool and to feature new compositions written for us. Gene D'Andrea is a close friend and one of the most brilliant musicians I know. He has written several originals for my ensemble. We premiered two of his originals last week and we will be performing more of his new works at Blues Alley in February. We will be collaborating on the Konitz project as well.

What are your thoughts on the state of D.C.'s local jazz scene? Who are the musicians you most enjoy?

The D.C. jazz scene has a lot of potential in each genre. Jazz is present in many restaurants and bars, but I'd like to see more artistic performances in venues that draw a crowd intent on listening. Jazz as background music is a perfectly acceptable way to provide a classy atmosphere, keep live music going, and allow musicians to make money. Jazz also needs to be "foreground" music for it to continue to grow. Musicians need venues they can play in where they know the audience is interested in what they are trying to do. D.C. has some great listening clubs like Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz, Bossa, and Blues Alley, and the performance opportunities at the various art galleries and festivals are perfect examples of other "listening" venues. I look forward to working in these environments with musicians like guitarist Rodney Richardson, drummer Web Grant, and trumpeter Brent Madsen.

Are there any local musicians who are flying under the radar of whom our readers should be aware?

D.C. has so many talented musicians that I'm sure many go relatively unnoticed. I can only speak about the ones I get the opportunity to work with, but these certainly aren't the only ones. Alex Shubert is a pianist in the metro area that is starting to come into his own as a disciple of Bud Powell and Frank Hewitt. Butch Warren [veteran bassist who plays regularly at Columbia Station] once asked to hire Alex "because he sounds like Monk." Sarah Hughes is another musician that I work with who is beginning to shine on the alto saxophone. She has a beautiful tone and she is really starting to improvise. She is approaching music from the same angle as Konitz and she knows more of those tricky melodies than I do.