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<\/p>\nAyo Brame picked up the saxophone for the first time in 2021, but in a remarkably short time he has established himself as a force in the jazz world. A student at Oakland School for the Arts, 16 year old Brame is proficient on multiple instruments and musical composition. Between his studies and gigs, he\u2019s busy writing and recording for his upcoming debut release, Oakland in My Soul<\/i>.<\/p>\n
Brame doesn\u2019t come from a particularly musical family. \u201cI have one cousin who plays the sax,\u201d he says, \u201cbut in my immediate family, I\u2019m the only musician.\u201d Still, a love and appreciation for music has been a central value in his upbringing. \u201cMy dad was playing John Coltrane\u2019s A Love Supreme<\/i> while I was actually being born,\u201d he says with a smile. \u201cI think that\u2019s how I got into it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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While Brame considers himself a jazz purist, as a listener his interests cover a wide spectrum. \u201cI like hip hop, pop, and rock music for its musicality,\u201d he says. \u201cI listen to everything.\u201d When it comes to jazz, he\u2019s a serious fan of hard bop, and he enjoys Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon and other greats.<\/p>\n
And Brame\u2019s musical proficiency isn\u2019t limited to tenor, soprano and alto saxophone. He also plays clarinet, bass guitar, EWI (electronic wind instrument) and drums. He believes that developing facility on multiple instruments affords advantages when playing each one. \u201cIt lets you see different perspectives,\u201d he explains. \u201cAs a player of those different instruments, you can become better at playing in different ways to suit the needs of the other musicians.\u201d<\/p>\n
That expertise also gives Brame an advantage and understanding when he\u2019s developing arrangements for his band mates to play. He explains his approach to arranging: \u201cIt\u2019s sketched out in broad strokes,\u201d he says. \u201cI write out the chords and changes, and allow them to improvise.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like any serious jazz musician, Brame says that improvisation has an important place in his music. \u201cIn every song,\u201d he says. \u201cBut not all the way through. I\u2019m usually playing the head [core melodic line], then we go back and do solos, and then back to the head.\u201d But even that structure isn\u2019t a strict rule. \u201cSometimes,\u201d Brame admits, \u201cIt\u2019s just whatever we\u2019re feeling at the moment; we just fill it out.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even at his tender age, Ayo Brame is quickly becoming a touring veteran. At age 14 he played dates across the country, including stops in Grand Rapids, Phoenix, Ohio and New York City. With a laugh, he recalls an audience member at a New York show, standing at the side of stage heckling performers. \u201cThat actually helped me,\u201d he says. \u201cIt helped me [develop] nerves of steel. The next time I went on stage, I was ready for anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
That first tour opened Brame\u2019s eyes to the reality of life on the road. \u201cWhat surprised me most was the amount of time traveling and waiting,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s not always playing music.\u201d One of his fondest memories from that inaugural tour was meeting another of his inspirations, fellow saxophonist Stacy Dillard. New York City based Dillard is a bandleader, recording artist and frequent sideman with over 40 recording session credits.<\/p>\n
Brame followed up his domestic tour with a run of dates in Brazil. He had been on many family trips outside the country. \u201cEducational trips,\u201d he clarifies. \u201cBut never for music.\u201d This time would be different. Before the trip, Brame recorded a promotional clip that featured him speaking Portuguese. \u201cSo people already knew who I was when we got there,\u201d he says. A set at Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Jazz Na Avenida in Salvador was a highlight of the trip. \u201cThere were about 400 people there,\u201d Brame says, \u201cbut they were all super excited. It\u2019s wild being so far away from home yet everybody still knows you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Brame will graduate in May 2025; he hopes to have his debut album completed and released by that time. But at present, he\u2019s focused on his upcoming gig at the San Jose Jazz Festival. There he\u2019ll be joined by a small ensemble \u2013 upright electric bass, drums and keyboards \u2013 that will also feature Kev Choice. \u201cKev\u2019s a really good jazz musician, but he\u2019s also a rapper,\u201d Brame explains. \u201cWhat we like to do is take standards and add a hip hop feel to them. Kev has the ability to change it up and flip it inside out.\u201d<\/p>\n
After graduation, Ayo Brame plans to continue his music and studies in New York City. He foresees a life in music. \u201cIn football, for example, there are always injuries and stuff; you have to retire,\u201d he observes. \u201cBut in music, you don\u2019t have to.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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