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Johnathan Blake: Trion
by Dan McClenaghan
Johnathan Blake, an in-demand drummer who has contributed to recordings by trumpeter Tom Harrell and guitarist Russell Malone, presents an ambitious two-CD set, Trion, a chordless trio affair with a pair of fellow first-callers, saxophonist Chris Potter and bassist Linda May Han Oh. The ground was broken for this particular format by saxophonist Sonny Rollins' A Night At The Village Vanguard (Blue Note, 1958), a freewheeling exploration of jazz standards and Great American Songbook tunes.Where A Night At ...
Continue ReadingKenneth Dahl Knudsen: Clockstopper
by Edward Blanco
Not much is known about Danish bassist Kenneth Dahl Knudsen, even his own website reveals little about his personal story, only that he has won several awards, including being voted “Jazz musician of 2010 in northern Denmark," has been fortunate to have performed the music he loves for most of his life and claims inspiration from the music of John Coltrane and Igor Stravinsky. Delivering his second album as leader on Clockstopper, Knudsen leads a core quintet of international players, ...
Continue ReadingJohnathan Blake: The Eleventh Hour
by Troy Collins
Some debut recordings encapsulate all of an aspiring artist's diverse interests; others are less ambitious, and merely document a particular ensemble or performance. The Eleventh Hour, an expansive tour de force by rising drummer Johnathan Blake, is a prime example of the former. Blake's successful merger of styles should come as no surprise; in addition to sideman gigs for Kenny Barron, Tom Harrell and the Mingus Big Band, he is the son of violinist John Blake—his roots run deep.
Continue ReadingJohnathan Blake: The Eleventh Hour
by C. Michael Bailey
Jazz violinist John Blake, Jr.'s son, drummer Johnathan Blake, makes his debut on Sunnyside Records with The Eleventh Hour. While the leader, this recording does not have any of the hallmarks of a drummer-led date. Blake is careful not to crowd his band, making his mark as solid understatement, a seasoning that imparts just the right percussive flavor to the combo's performance. He also paints across an expansive landscape, drawing from a wide expanse of music, summoning the last 60 ...
Continue ReadingJohnathan Blake: The Eleventh Hour
by Mark F. Turner
The health of an organism is its ability to reproduce and a fine example of jazz's continued vitality is heard on drummer Johnathan Blake's The Eleventh Hour. The debut's excellence comes as no surprise, though. This son of violinist John Blake Jr is already carving his name as a young rhythmic dynamo whose growing credits include work with the Mingus Big Band, trumpeter Tom Harrell and guitarist Russell Malone. With a frenzied schedule of gigs on other ...
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