Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band with Jon Cowherd, Myron Walden, Melvin Butler, Christopher Thomas

The Biamp Portland Jazz Festival, presented by PDX Jazz, welcomes Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band to The Reser in Beaverton on Wednesday, March 10, 2027. Featuring Jon Cowherd, Myron Walden, Melvin Butler, and Christopher Thomas, the evening celebrates a musical partnership rooted in friendship, shared exploration, and decades of collaboration.

Blade’s musical journey began with violin in his school orchestra before he followed his older brother Brady’s path to the drums at Zion church. During high school, both brothers studied with Dorsey Summerfield, Jr. and performed in his professional ensemble, the Polyphonics. These experiences introduced Blade to the music of John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Elvin Jones, and Joni Mitchell.

In 1988, Blade moved to New Orleans to attend Loyola University, where he met pianist Jon Cowherd. Their connection laid the foundation for The Fellowship Band. Surrounded by the city’s rich musical community, they studied and performed with master musicians including Ellis Marsalis, John Vidacovich, and Harold Battiste.

Blade and Cowherd began recording their own music with The Fellowship in 1998. Alongside Thomas, Walden, and Butler, they have brought the group’s music to the Village Vanguard and major festivals in Newport, Ottawa, and New Orleans.

The band’s seven recordings trace its continuing evolution, from its 1998 debut, Fellowship, through Perceptual, Season of Changes, Landmarks, Body and Shadow, Live from the Archives, and Kings Highway. This festival performance offers an opportunity to experience the enduring creative bond of an ensemble whose roots reach back nearly four decades.

Tickets on sale beginning October 13th.