South Orange Resident Don Braden Making News Across Jazz World

One of the great things about our towns is that we have some absolutely wonderful, professional musicians who wow us when they play locally and it's nice to hear that crowds turn out for them all across the globe. This Month New Jersey Jazz Society Vice President and Editor Of NJ Jazz Society's Jersey Jazz Magazine, Sanford Josephson took a step back in time as he selected our man, local bandleader and saxophonist Don Braden as this month's Editor Choice. Take a read and enjoy as he uncovers some great insight with South Orange Resident Don Braden and his relation with some of the great, iconic figures in jazz. .

On November 15, 2019, about 300 people packed Jazz at the Club in The Hague, TheNetherlands, to hear the Don Braden/Joris Teepe Quartet pay homage toHerbie Hancock. Fortunately, for those of us who couldn’t be there, the concert was recorded for a new album, In the Spirit of Herbie Hancock,released June 17 on the O.A.P. Records label.

On November 15, 2019, about 300 people packed Jazz at the Club in The Hague, The Netherlands, to hear the Don Braden/Joris Teepe Quartet pay homage to Herbie Hancock. Fortunately, for those of us who couldn’t be there, the concert was recorded for a new album, In the Spirit of Herbie Hancock, released June 17 on the O.A.P. Records label.

The album contains six Hancock classics: “Maiden Voyage”, “Watermelon Man”, “Actual Proof”, “Speak Like A Child”, “Butterfly”, and “Driftin’” There are also original compositions -- “Ingenious Catalyst” by Braden and “Role Model” by the Dutch bassist Teepe. The only track not associated with Hancock is Jerome Kern’s “Yesterdays”.

Braden is a student of jazz history, and there are three saxophonists among his top influences who are closely associated with Hancock.
Dexter Gordon appeared on the original recordings of “Watermelon Man” and “Driftin’” and George Coleman performed on “Maiden Voyage”. The first two tunes were on the 1962 Blue Note release, Takin’ Off, and “Maiden Voyage” was the title track of a 1965 Blue Note album. Benny Maupin, who played on Hancock’s “funk stuff”, can be heard on “Actual Proof” and “Butterfly”, recorded on the 1974 Columbia album, Thrust.

“Dexter,” said Braden, “is probably among the top three of my influences. I love his sound, feel, intelligence, melodic beauty; and he’s harmonically astute.” Coleman’s solo on Jimmy Van Heusen’s “I Thought About You” on Miles Davis’ My Funny Valentine album (Columbia: 1964) was, in Braden’s opinion, “a top 10 jazz solo.” And, he’s also a fan of Coleman’s solo on Hancock’s “Eye of the Hurricane” from the Maiden Voyage album. “He’s similar to Dexter in that he’s very harmonically astute. I got to hang with him during my Interim run at Harvard (For three years, Braden was interim Conductor of the Harvard University Jazz Combo Initiative). He and Harold Mabern were my last guests. I’m honored to be in his presence anytime.” Maupin, Braden said, “could play wrong notes and make them sound right. He’s just so unique on a bunch of Herbie records. He’s not avant-garde, but he has a completely personal approach to the harmony. He has a beautiful sound and plays flute and oboe on some of Herbie’s records. ‘Butterfly’ is one of my favorite tunes. I played soprano on the solo and alto on the melody.”

Hancock, he added, “has so many amazing tunes. I did an arrangement of ‘Maiden Voyage’ years ago on a previous album. ‘Ingenious Catalyst’ came from when Herbie was our featured theme during one of my Harvard years. The program was called ‘The Musical World of Herbie Hancock’. I wrote this tune for that. He was an ingenious catalyst. He got it from Miles -- put a band together and create magic. That’s Herbie and Miles and Art Blakey.” All the other arrangements for the album were written by Teepe, who has collaborated with Braden for more than 25 years. The other members of the quartet were Rob Van Bavel, a Dutch pianist influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans, and American drummer Owen Hart, Jr., who has been a longtime resident of The Netherlands.

In case you’re wondering how a Jerome Kern tune ended up being part of a concert/album dedicated to Herbie Hancock, there is a simple explanation. “The concert was two hours,” Braden said, “and we had eight tunes. There was a standing ovation, so we said, ‘Let’s play a standard.’”
No disrespect to one of our great American composers, but I don’t think Jerome Kern could have ever imagined “Yesterdays” having the energetic intensity it does on this album.

As of now, the album will only be digitally released in the United States, available on such outlets as iTunes and Apple Music.

Thanks for reading about one of our local professionals that we are very proud of in our town.