"Listening to "Kings Highway" one can feel this fellowship, the solidarity of the musicians, their sense of purpose to achieve a feeling that goes beyond the notes or the technical abilities of the individual players. Not all jazz is like this. Often a particular soloist is forefront, supported by the others driving the leader's vision and solos to express themselves. Spiritual is a word that comes to mind often when listening to this band. Though this recording feels more fusion inspired at times than previous albums, there is always a return to a sound with a palpable sense of a searching for holiness, for truth, for fellowship, not only amongst the players, but with the listeners as well. The album ends with a spiritual hymn and prayer named "God Be With You", setting a final, beautiful, solemn tone to the record. With this record Brian Blade and The Fellowship Band invite the listener along to join their fellowship on a musical highway of life, and so we should." (All About Jazz; 4 uit 5 sterren)
De drummer maakte 2 eerdere platen onder de 'Fellowship'-vlag, in 1998 en 2000, met moderne jazz waar roestbruine invloeden uit americana in doorsijpelde. Acht jaar later is de naam veranderd in The Fellowship Band en heeft pedal steel guitarspeler David Easly de band verlaten. Naast gitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel 'vechten' Myron Waldon (as, bc) en Melvin Butler (ts) voor een plaats in de 'frontlinie'. Vooral Rosenwinkel bewijst in tracks als "Return Of The Prodigal Son" een gevarieerde, kleurrijke en gevoelvolle speler te zijn. Maar het draait vooral om het bandgeluid, dat ook zonder de jazzvreemde pedal steel bijzonder blijft. "There isn't a jazz record out there like this, and perhaps there won't be; this is the place where the argument stops: jazz is not only alive and well, it is on the verge of an entirely new adventure; this album is the aural proof of a new, exciting sound that offers new possibilities for jazz is in our midst. Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band are sounding its cry." (Thom Jurek, Allmusic)
Debuutalbum van altsaxofonist Myron Walden uit 1996. feat. Mulgrew Miller, Kevin Hays, Dwayne Burno & Eric McPherson. "Walden displays a nice cry in his tone that serves him well, with an urgency that is more cerebral than visceral. His attractive tone is best displayed on As The Sun Peaks, a fine composition that given further exposure could enter the modern real book currently in production." (JazzTimes)
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