Hallelujah Train: Live Recording in Durham!

From the program notes:

Conceived by Brian, the project celebrates his father's nearly 50 year history as the pastor of the Zion Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA.

At the concert tonight, when Brian took the mic he said something to the effect of:  he and his manager had approached Duke about this, and Duke funded the entire project.  In attendance were:

• Brady Blade Sr.
• Brian Blade
• Brady Blade Jr.
• Daniel Lanois
• Greg Liesz
• Buddy Miller
• Aaron Embry
• Chris Thomas
• plus Ada Small, the Zion Baptist Church Choir (25- 30 people?) and Ms. Sereca Henderson (directing the choir and playing an awesome Hammond Organ) and Kelly Jones, bgv's.

I knew that they were going to be filming this but it didn't cross my mind tonight until I walked past the sound board and saw Daniel Lanois talking to the House Engineer (Adam - who I met later after the show), that they were recording this show for a future CD release.  Adam confirmed they were tracking the whole thing to RADAR, and you could tell with all the mics on stage that this was more than your typical live show.  At one point, Daniel Lanois got up and went to the piano to adjust the angle of the vocal mic Ada Small was singing into.  Brian Blade was up between songs at one point too, adjusting the overhead mics being used by the choir.

Seeing Brian and Brady play together was refreshing, and seeing Brian play was simply amazing.  I remarked to my friend Jamie after the show that it seemed the Bass Player did alot of the "holding down" of the groove, so that Brian was free to play outside the bounds of a traditional time keeping role.  At times it was as if Brian was playing parts that felt more orchestrated and composed.  And he was able to respond to subtle changes in the dynamics and direction the songs were going in.  Plus he and Brady just seemed to be having a whole lot of fun!  The joy on the stage was apparent and the two of them seemed to be having a blast. 

Many of the songs felt as if they were being pushed and kneaded like a big lump of dough.  The music felt as if it was being arranged, stretched and pulled while also being directed in seemingly equal parts by Chris Thomas on bass, Sereca Henderson on the organ, and of course Brady Blade Sr "preaching" and leading through the songs with hand jestures, foot movements and his vocal inflections.  I felt as if a "moment" was being created with every song...that this night was special and never to be repeated.  My guess is that tomorrow's performance will have that same "live" and improvised yet structured feel to it as well.

The whole night was awesome, but some highlights for me were:

Ada Small playing piano and singing

Watching the interplay between Chris Thomas and Brian Blade

Seeing the look in Daniel Lanois eyes while watching Greg Leisz play acoustic slide guitar

Buddy Miller's performance of "Wide River to Cross"

The "duet" between Brady Blade Sr. and Daniel Lanois (with Kelly Jones holding the mic so she and Daniel could share vocals)

Seeing the consistency and dynamics of Brian Blade's playing...watching how he used his kick drum, and his use of brushes and sticks.  Plus, those cymbals he and Brady used sounded so beautiful.  Adam (the sound guy) said Brady was using an Istanbul 24" with 60's era Zildjian A's while Brian was using an old 60's Zildjian ride, some old 15" 60's era Zildjian A's and a 24" Italian Cymbal (I can't remember the name, but this cymbal sounded AMAZING).

As we were coming down the stairs from the Balcony, we found the room where the musicians were all hanging out after the show.  I reconnected with Buddy Miller, who I had recorded with many years ago back in Nashville, and we were able to catch up a bit.  I got to meet Daniel Lanois and Brian Blade and am just blown away at the fact that all these guys were in town playing together and I GOT TO SEE IT!  Amazing stuff.  Totally inspiring.  I can only imagine when this project comes out on CD/ Vinyl/ Download or what have you...it's going to be a great joy to listen to it all again.  And I'm looking forward to seeing the film too!

By the way here are more opportunities to hear and experience the "Hallelujah Train":

Sunday morning (Oct. 11) you can go hear Pastor Brady Blade Sr. preach on Psalm 23 at 10:00am and then later tomorrow afternoon, you can attend the concert again at 5:00pm.  All the musicians will be playing during the Sunday service as well.  Ever want to hear how Daniel Lanois would play a "church gig?"  Well now's your chance!

On Monday (Oct. 12) there is a brown bag lunch conversation happening between Brian Blade and Melvin Butler from 12:30 - 1:30pm in the Alumni Memorial Commons Room in the Duke Divinity School.

Later that day there will be a visit to Prof. John Brown's "Intro to Jazz Course" and Prof. Rupprecht's "Music Theory 65 Course" from 4:25 - 5:40pm in White 107 on Duke's East Campus

And that evening from 6:30 - 8:00pm there will be a listening session and conversation with Brian Blade and Melvin Butler at the Pinhook Bar, 117 W. Main St. in Durham.

On Tuesday (Oct. 13) Brian and Melvin will be visiting Prof. Charles Piot's "Religion in African Diaspora Course" in Friedl 240 (between Aycock and Wilson on Duke's East Campus) and later from 4:00 - 5:30pm there will be a conversation and demonstration by Brian and Melvin at the North Carolina Central University Music Building.

Read more about it via Duke's Office of News and Communication

or via The Herald Sun

Comments

[Michael Van Houten]

Dale...my brother and I drove from Michigan to be at this event and it was indeed as incredible as you say! It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime event. My brother and I are musicians, too (he on guitar, me on drums), so it was REALLY cool to see the joy and musical interplay between Brian and Brady. And I was just blown away at how humble and kind they all were after meeting them when the concert was done. Were you in church on Sunday morning? It was amazing!

[Dale Baker Drummer]

Michael, Wow. You guys came a long way...but it was definitely worth it in my opinion. That was a show I'll remember for a long time. Brian and Brady were definitely a treat to watch and those cymbal sounds were wonderful. How they both played and interacted with the music was inspiring. I hope you guys had a good trip back. I wasn't able to see them at all on Sunday, but I did go to the lunch-time discussion at Duke on Monday and went to the Listening session last night at the PinHook. It's been an amazing couple of days of music here in Durham.

[Georg]

Wow, congrats on meeting Lanois!