As an aspiring bass player, Brandon Robertson had three major influences – Charles Mingus, Ray Brown and Christian McBride. Each one represented a different generation of jazz bassists.
And as a leading light among contemporary bass players, Brandon is honoring those three musical pathfinders at his Side Door concert this Thursday, Aug. 3, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are limited, so get yours and learn more about the show, by following this link.
“This show is something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time.” Brandon told me during an interview from his home in Fort Meyers. “And your room (The Side Door) is just perfect for the music I’m trying to do.”
The show will feature songs and arrangements by Mingus, Brown and McBride, along with some of Brandon’s own tunes, which grew from the inspiration of those masters.
“I tested (the concept) out at a gig recently in Sarasota and it was a hit,” he told me.
To make sure his Palladium show is a hit, Brandon has gathered a band of his favorite musicians. Coincidentally, they are also favorites of mine and of Palladium jazz audiences.
Along with Brandon on the bass, the band features James Suggs, trumpet, Jeremy Carter, tenor saxophone, John O’Leary, piano and Paul Gavin, drums. That lineup played together in the Side Door a few years ago and everybody felt the chemistry.
“We all said we wanted to do put that together again.”
He’s especially excited to share the stage with his longtime friend, the drummer, Paul Gavin. Last time he and Paul were on a Palladium stage they were part of the stellar band for Synia Carroll’s Nina Simone tribute show. Gavin did the arrangements and led the band for that show.
“With Paul I can say he’s one of my music brothers. He was the first drummer I played with when I moved to Fort Meyers.”
Gavin spurs him to be a more fearless player, he said. When the rhythm section of Gavin and Robertson lock in, the whole band seems to elevate, he told me.
Although he’s appeared on our stage several times, Brandon is still new to the Palladium as a band leader. But it’s something he does regularly and I’m excited that our audiences will be getting to know him in that role.
Originally from Tampa, Brandon earned his Bachelor of Arts in music performance from Florida State University in 2009 and a Master of Music in Jazz Performance in the spring of 2016. Brandon has performed with numerous notable acts such as the world-famous Count Basie Orchestra, Jason Marsalis, Marcus Roberts and others. He has also toured 22 countries in Europe, traveling from the Mediterranean up to the capital of Iceland. In addition, Brandon has been featured as a performer and bandleader at various national jazz festivals. He’s currently teaching Jazz Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University in Fort Myers.
Leave a Reply