Brad Linde

Brad Linde is a saxophonist, pianist, composer/arranger, educator and bandleader living in the Washington D.C. metro area. His approach to the saxophone and improvising has drawn comparison to the melodic nature and easy swing of modern jazz titans including Lester Young, Allen Eager, Wardell Gray, Zoot Sims, Warne Marsh, and Lucky Thompson.

Linde has performed with jazz greats such as Barry Harris, Butch Warren, Ted Brown, Eddie Bert, Jimmy Wormworth, Freddie Redd, Slide Hampton, and Dan Tepfer, Gretchen Parlato, Chris Byars, Ari Roland, John Mosca, Jon Metzger, and Jim Ketch. He has performed in Germany and Austria, and at the East Coast Jazz Festival, Duke Ellington Jazz Festival, The Smithsonian Institute, The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Chris' Jazz Cafe in Philadelphia and Smalls Jazz Club in New York. He appears as a leader at D.C. jazz clubs including Blues Alley, U-topia, Bohemian Caverns, Twins Jazz and in Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and New York City.

He leads the Brad Linde Ensemble, an 11 piece ensemble devoted to exploring and expanding the bebop style of jazz. Presenting concerts, workshops, and club dates, the ensemble performs some of the most important repertoire in jazz history alongside new pieces written specifically for the group.

During 2009, the BLE celebrated the anniversaries of the Miles Davis classic “Birth of the Cool” recording, “Thelonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall” concert, and the 100th birthday of the “President of the Tenor Saxophone” Lester Young with dedicated performances and educational engagements. Guest artists have included pianist Freddie Redd, trumpeter Jim Ketch, trombonist Eddie Bert, saxophonists Ted Brown and Chris Byars, bassists Ari Roland and Murray Wall, and drummer Jimmy Wormworth.

In August 2009, the BLE celebrated Lester Young's Centennial at Smalls Jazz Club in NYC, featuring original Tristanoite Ted Brown on tenor saxophone, along with Chris Byars, Lena Bloch and bassist Ari Roland.

The Brad Linde Ensemble has released their debut CD, “Feeling That Way Now”(Bleebop Records #0901), which includes music from the Birth of the Cool, compositions by Thelonious Monk and new arrangements and compositions by Brad Linde, Chris Byars, and Gene D'Andrea.

In March 2009, he organized a collaboration with the legendary Freddie Redd, bringing the hardbop pianist to the East Coast for a series of performances in Washington D.C. (Twins Jazz) and New York City (Smalls Jazz Club). Each night featured transcriptions of Redd's compositions from his classic Blue Note albums of the 1960s. Performances in New York City at Birdland and Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola at Jazz at Lincoln Center followed in 2010, as well as return engagements at Twins Jazz and Smalls Jazz Club.

Linde is co-founder/co-director (along with trumpeter Joe Herrera and club owner Omrao Brown) of the new Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, a 16-piece big band in residence at the historic Washington DC jazz club. Beginning in April 2010, the band will be featured every Monday night with the artistic direction collectively developed by the talented members of the band. The BCJO is the District's version of the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra in New York City.

As a pianist, he has performed at venues including Bohemian Caverns, U-topia, Columbia Station, Twins Jazz, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center and has accompanied jazz vocalist Gretchen Parlato and saxophonist Eric Alexander in masterclasses. His teachers have included Jon Metzger, Barry Harris, and Ron Elliston. He is currently is an instructor of jazz piano and composition at the International School of Music in Bethesda, MD and can be heard on the accompaniment CD for the improvisation text “The Art and Language of Jazz Vibes” by Jon Metzger (EPM).

Brad has maintained an active teaching career for over 10 years. He has taught applied lessons, jazz improvisation, jazz combo and big band at the collegiate level and was the founder and director of the University of Maryland Jazz Repertory Ensemble. He currently teaches piano, flute, clarinet and saxophone at the Del Ray School of Music in Alexandria, VA and is adjunct faculty at Carroll Community College in Westminster, MD. He regularly conducts independent research of jazz scores and copyright deposits at the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian Institute.

Linde received his M.M. in Saxophone Performance (Jazz) at the University of Maryland, College Park and holds a B.A. in Music from Elon University, where he studied vibraphonist/composer Jon Metzger. He has studied jazz and improvisation extensively with bebop guru Barry Harris and iconic alto saxophonist Lee Konitz.