Jazz Articles about Seamus Blake

BANN: As You Like

by AAJ Italy Staff
April 28, 2011

Il gruppo BANN mette a confronto due generazioni di musicisti e lo fa con risultati interessanti ben dimostrati da questo primo album, pubblicato dalla etichetta siciliana Jazz Eyes. I nomi sono di assoluto valore, dal saxofonista anglo-canadese Seamus Blake, al chitarrista israeliano Oz Noy, ai due veterani Jay Anderson e Adam Nussbaum, rispettivamente bassista canadese e batterista newyorkese. Certamente una delle sezioni ritmiche più affiatate della piazza. Il problema sarà semmai tenere assieme quattro musicisti che hanno certamente un carnet ...

Seamus Blake Quintet: Live At Smalls

by Bruce Lindsay
April 21, 2011

Recorded at the Greenwich Village club on August 31st and September 1st 2009, Live At Smalls showcases the inventive sound of English-born, Canadian-raised and New York-based Seamus Blake. The tenor saxophonist's career to date includes membership in the Mingus Big Band, BANN and the Victor Lewis Quintet, as well as his own combos. Live At Smalls finds Blake leading a sharp and swinging quintet on a series of post-bop originals and a cover of “Stranger in Paradise." ...

Seamus Blake: Bellwether

by Woodrow Wilkins
January 5, 2010

SSome albums are named for a time, a place, an experience, or even a person. Others have a concept. Saxophonist Seamus Blake takes on concept with Bellwether, a term for leader or trendsetter. Born in England and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Blake has gained recognition by Down Beat and JazzTimes magazines, and finished first in the 2002 Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition. His associations include Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier and Victor Lewis. For Bellwether, Blake is accompanied ...

Seamus Blake: Bellwether

by Robert Dugan
December 19, 2009

This is a great period for tenor players, with some of the best in our midst: Chris Potter, Jimmy Greene, Donny McCaslin, Marcus Strickland, and Seamus Blake, among others. Surfacing in the Mingus Big Band during the nineties, Blake's aggressive edginess was impressive in a group which took no prisoners. The tenor saxophonist more than held his own. Recently, he seems to be refining and elaborating his improvisational style while further developing his compositional skills.

With Bellwether, Blake brings a ...

Seamus Blake Quartet: Live In Italy

by AAJ Italy Staff
August 10, 2009

Ecco un'altro bell'esempio di lungimiranza produttiva che viene da Palermo e dovrebbe far riflettere sulle tante eccellenze che operano nel nostro Sud. Il piccolo tour italiano di Seamus Blake del febbraio 2007 sarebbe passato inosservato se i nastri di quei concerti non avessere trovato la piccola etichetta palermitana Music Eyes che fa capo ai produttori Toni Cannistrato e Paul Siculiana e spazia tra jazz, rock ed altri generi. Il doppio album, che riprende oltre i concerti palermitani anche quellli dati ...

Seamus Blake: Live in Italy

by Terrell Kent Holmes
August 4, 2009

Seamus Blake displays impressive talent as a tenor saxophonist, composer and leader on Live in Italy, a double CD documenting his quartet's tour through various cities in 2007, where audiences were treated to an eclectic blend of dynamic originals and standards. Originals like “The Jupiter Line," “Way Out of Willy" and “Fear of Roaming" favor the bop genre. Blake's tone is clean, with uncluttered lines and robust phrases. The band works off the themes and branches out ...

Seamus Blake Quartet: Live in Italy

by Woodrow Wilkins
March 19, 2009

Born in London, England and reared in Vancouver, Canada, saxophonist Seamus Blake has established himself as both a leader and an effective sideman. He brings those leadership skills to the two-disc Live in Italy.Blake has gained recognition from Down Beat and Jazz Times magazines, and he finished first in the 2002 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. His associations include Mark Turner, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Larry Grenadier and Victor Lewis. For his first live recording, he's accompanied by pianist ...