Devin Brahja Waldman is a New York saxophonist, drummer, synthesizer player and composer who leads the group BRAHJA. Waldman has accompanied his aunt, poet Anne Waldman, since the age of ten. Waldman is a co-founding member of Radical Reversal, Diva of Deva Loka, and Notable Deaths. He has performed with Patti Smith, William Parker, Nadah El Shazly, Malcolm Mooney, Thurston Moore, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, Charles Hayward, Luke Stewart and Yoshiko Chuma. Waldman is also a member of NYC’s Heroes Are Gang Leaders (led by poet Thomas Sayers Ellis and saxophonist James Brandon Lewis), of Sam Shalabi’s Land of Kush, and of the Norwegian hardcore group MoE. As a youngster, Waldman was taken under the wing of avant-garde giant Paul Bley. Along with Anne Waldman and cousin Ambrose Bye, Waldman is a co-producer for Fast Speaking Music —a NYC poetry and music label which has released recordings with Amiri Baraka, Meredith Monk, William Parker, Laurie Anderson, Eileen Myles, CAConrad, Fred Moten, Daniel Carter, Clark Coolidge, Thurston Moore, Joanne Kyger and many others.
BRAHJA (core unit)
Damon Shadrach Hankoff piano
Isis Giraldo synthesizer and voice
Martin Heslop bass
Daniel Gelinas drums
Devin Brahja Waldman alto saxophone
(guests & extended family)
Adam “Bones” Kinner tenor saxophone
Margaret Morris voice
Daniel Carter winds & brass
Sam Shalabi guitar
Luke Stewart electric bass
Anais Maviel percussion and voice
Alexis Marcelo synthesizer
Adam Zanolini winds
Sarah Good voice and keyboards
Annie Shaw voice and keyboards
Connor Bennet tenor saxophone
Marcus Elliot tenor saxophone
Jamal Moore tenor saxophone
Heru Shabaka-ra trumpet