Brad Linde Ensemble concert celebrates jazz greats

With “A one, two — a one, two, three, four,” the Brad Linde Ensemble was off.

The ensemble’s instruments created a blend of jazz music that had the audience members swaying in their seats, tapping their toes and itching to get up and swing dance during the performance Sunday night in Hill Hall.

The concert was a celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Miles Davis album, “Birth of the Cool,” and the centennial of Lester Young’s birthday.

The concert was presented in two parts with selections from both the “Birth of the Cool” and “Lester Young’s Centennial,” including “Baby Grand,” “Ballad for Blee,” “Moon Dreams” and “Tickle Toe.”

The music performed was structured jazz featuring typical eight-, 12- and 16-measure phrases. Of the 16 songs played, there were two distinct styles of jazz: the upbeat swing and the slower blues.

Each piece featured an ensemble melody interrupted by solo interludes in which various members of Linde’s group improvised melodies or played transcriptions from original recordings of the music.

Hill Hall was an excellent choice acoustically for the group. The ensemble members included alto, tenor and baritone saxophones; trumpet; clarinet; drums; bass; electric guitar; trombone and french horn.

As a whole, the group was well-balanced, displaying an uncanny knack for filling up the hall during chorus lines, but also staying well under the soloists when necessary.

North Carolinian Brad Linde has been an avid fan of the ‘40s and ‘50s jazz style since his high school days.

Linde was first introduced to the jazz style by Jim Ketch, a professor in the UNC department of music.

Linde began attending concerts hosted by Ketch as a young high school musician and said he promptly fell in love with the music.

After he attended Elon University, Linde returned to UNC for three years working in a special study program.

“I wanted to be around Jim and his enthusiasm,” Linde said. “It was maybe the most influential study of my life. I owe a lot to him.”

Linde and his ensemble focus on playing those ‘40s and ‘50s style songs that he first learned through Ketch and UNC’s music program.

The group also had the first copies of their newly released album, “Feeling That Way Now,” available at the concert.


Contact the Arts Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.