User:Pepe131/sandbox

Adding to Brian Blade's Wikipedia page.

During his childhood, Brian would hear Gospel music in his everyday life, as well as, music from Al Green, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, and the Staple Singers. In elementary school Brian Blade would play the recorder and various melodic percussion instruments. From the age nine to age thirteen, Brian played violin in the school orchestra and later on learned the drum set following his older brother’s footsteps, Brady I. Blade, Jr. During highschool Brian began listening to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell. By the age of eighteen, Brian moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University. During this period, he was able to study and play with most of the master musicians living in New Orleans, such as: John Vidacovich, Ellis Marsalis, Steve Masakowski, Bill Huntington, Mike Pellera, John Mahoney, George French, Germaine Bazzle, David Lee, Jr., Alvin Red Tyler, Tony Dagradi and Harold Battiste. In 1998, Brian and Jon Cowherd, whom he met in New Orleans, began recording their own music with the group Fellowship.