Brian Blade Mama Rosa Numbered Limited Edition LP

Brian Blade has delivered a singer/songwriter album that is compelling, different in nature, introspective and deeply spiritual. Blade has grown in the spirit of Joni Mitchell, with whom Blade toured and recorded. Her influence looms, especially on the opening title track, where his guitar sound alludes to Mitchell's own harmonies. The subject is religious in nature and his faith is personal and far from proselytizing. Mama Rosa may come as unexpected for some, but no surprise to his core fans.

Given the state of the music business in 2009, it would seem a terrible decision to allow an award-winning jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader - not to mention an in-demand session musician - to record what amounts to a 'pop' album. Yet that's exactly what Verve's Forecast imprint did when it let Brian Blade...record Mama Rosa. And thank God they did. Blade has been writing and recording songs on two-track and four-track demos for decades. He's been singing them for friends and family members for about as long. Blade is a natural born storyteller with an evocative singing voice, an individual and polished guitar style, and real estate with enough fine musicians to bring them into his projects. This is music that has heart, melody, and sophisticated and well-intentioned lyric poetry, and these songs are concerned with what it means to try and live alone and with others in the light each day.