Season of Changes

Since emerging in the 1990s, the drummer Brian Blade has collaborated with jazz musicians such as Wayne Shorter, Brad Mehldau, and Joshua Redman, but he’s also played with Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Daniel Lanois, and numerous other artists. On 2008’s Season of Changes, his first recording as a leader since 2000’s Perceptual, the sounds of rock, jazz, and other styles mix freely. The opener, “Rubylou’s Lullaby,” features lovely bass clarinet and tenor sax voicings, a hint of country, pop grandeur, and surges of fusion-like energy. “Return of the Prodigal Son,” composed by Fellowship Band keyboardist Jon Cowherd, features an excellent tenor sax solo by Marvin Butler, while guitarist Kurt Roswinkel’s statement comes off as a refined descendent of ’70s jazz-rock guitar slinging. The Blade original, “Stoner Hill,” has the stately rhythmic groove of first-rate folk-rock (think Fairport Convention), but the subtle horns lend the track its own sound. Listening to Seasons of Change, it’s clear that Fellowship Band has the ability to integrate different genres while demonstrating a great feel for the sources they draw from.