Don Braden, photo by Andrew Lepley

Originally published in Jersey Jazz – Reprinted by permission of the New Jersey Jazz Society

Many jazz standards and today’s most popular songs were first featured in films. On Saturday, June 22, an all-star ensemble featuring Don Braden on tenor saxophone and flute, David O’Rourke on guitar, Oscar Perez on piano, Bill Crow on bass, Karl Latham on drums, and Cydney Halpin on vocals will celebrate jazz in film with a concert called “Jazz Goes to the Movies” on the back deck at Morristown’s Morris Museum. Audience members are invited to set up their own chairs and bring refreshments while enjoying the music and the sunset.

Braden acknowledged that, “Sometimes, people don’t think of jazz songs as songs from movies, or movie songs as applicable to jazz, but we will celebrate that connection. We are still working on the program, but I’ll probably contribute something fun like ‘The Pink Panther,’ as it’s a total saxophone song. There are a couple of good Disney songs, and I did an arrangement of ‘A Whole New World’ from Aladdin. When my daughter was little, we watched it all the time. I recorded it on one of my albums (Luminosity, Creative Perspective Music: 2015), so we’ll probably do that. Everybody in the group is bringing a tune or two, and we will each tell a story about the tunes we chose. I like that dimension of the storytelling component as part of the presentation.”

Born in Cincinnati, Braden grew up in Louisville, where he developed a passion for music early on and quickly displayed talent that set him on the path to becoming a professional musician. “I got into jazz through my school bands,” he recalled. “I was big, so they gave me a tenor sax. They had a little jazz band in my high school, which interested me in the possibility of improvisation, and once I started, there was no stopping. I practiced hard and then got with Jamey Aebersold, who was in Indiana. Jamey just took me under his wing, and I studied with one of his great students, Mike Tracy. The years with Jamey ended up being very productive.

“Then,” he continued, “I went to Harvard to study engineering and played a lot in Boston on the weekends. As luck would have it, my roommate was a piano player, and one of my bandmates was the son of John Lewis from the Modern Jazz Quartet. John Lewis took an interest in me, especially when I went to New York City; and he was extremely supportive. I was really blessed.”

Braden’s career took off while in New York. “Betty Carter was the first major jazz artist I got to play with,” he said. “She was a constant educator. She really wanted us young people to know what was happening. She taught me the importance of always swinging and being mindful not to play too many unnecessary notes, especially when she was singing. Those lessons stay with me to this day, and I share them with my students.” After that, Braden worked consistently with artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Freddie Hubbard, Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, and Tom Harrell.

His work as a bandleader began in the early 1990s, and he has since released numerous albums showcasing his versatility and depth as a composer and performer. One of his most recent and impressive projects can be heard on his two Earth Wind and Wonder albums, which feature the music of Earth Wind and Fire and Stevie Wonder. Discussing his Earth Wind and Wonder project, Braden explained, “What I’ve been doing with the music of Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire is treating them like jazz standards—taking a popular song, doing some arranging and reharmonization, and creating improvisational sectors. Most of Stevie Wonder’s tunes have a little more improv elements because Stevie himself is quite a great improviser. Earth, Wind & Fire’s material is highly arranged and sculpted, so adjusting these songs for jazz has been an adventure. I’m a huge fan of their music, especially since I grew up listening to the tunes. These tunes are in my heart, and that level of emotion comes through in my playing.” (Earth Wind and Wonder, Creative Perspectives Music: 2018 and Earth Wind and Wonder Vol. 2, Creative Perspectives Music: 2023).

Braden’s journey in jazz and his commitment to music education are inspiring. His teaching positions at prestigious institutions such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, the Litchfield Jazz Camp, and William Paterson University, and his return to Harvard University as a visiting lecturer, are a testament to his dedication to sharing his expertise and passion for jazz with students. As Braden himself puts it, ‘Your contribution is not only about you but the totality within which you fit.’

His influence continues to be far-reaching. Throughout his career, Braden has maintained a balance between honoring jazz traditions and pushing the genre forward. His technical proficiency, innovative compositions, and dedication to education have left a mark on the jazz world, and his dynamic career exemplifies the evolving nature of jazz.

 Looking ahead, he revealed that, “I have a second Big Funk album to put out, then a new Earth Wind and Wonder; and then I’ll probably do another contemporary standards album. I also desire to do a big band album. Additionally, I’m a big advocate of health and fitness. You have to be healthy to maximize your energy. I’ve been digging into research between health and creativity, and I hope to do something in the future on the subject.”

The Jazz Goes to the Movies concert takes place on June 22 at 7:30pm. For information and tickets, log onto morrismuseum.org or call (973) 971-3706.

The New Jersey Jazz Society is a non-profit organization of business and professional people, musicians, teachers, students and listeners working together for the purpose of advancing jazz music. Their mission is to  promote and preserve America’s original art form – jazz. The Society seeks to ensure continuity of the jazz art form through its commitment to nurture and champion local talent, along with showcasing outstanding national and international artists providing for the younger generation via arts education programs.