Jazz Articles about Seamus Blake

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Seamus Blake and Chris Cheek: Reeds Ramble

by Edward Blanco
May 5, 2014

As leader of the 1995 funky, alternative/electronic music group The Bloomdaddies, saxophonist Seamus Blake released the band's debut album Bloomdaddies (Criss Cross 1110, 1996) that included fellow reed man Chris Cheek among the personnel. Twenty-years later, after forging independent careers as sidemen, big band soloists and leaders of their own groups, on Reeds Ramble, Blake and Cheek reunite once again in a jazz outing that lays down 'their' version of the oft used term “tenor madness." There's a slight double ...

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Seamus Blake and Chris Cheek: Reeds Ramble

by Bruce Lindsay
April 9, 2014

Saxophonists Seamus Blake and Chris Cheek are both into their third decades as professional musicians. Their working relationship goes back to the early-90s when Cheek was a member of Blake's “alternative grunge jazz" band The Bloomdaddies. On Reeds Ramble (the title is borrowed from a tune written by guitarist Jerry Reed) the two men lead a quintet on a selection of tunes ranging from Elmo Hope's upbeat “De Dah" to Brian Wilson's oddly unsettling “'Til I Die," with one original ...

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Opus 5: Introducing Opus 5

by Dan Bilawsky
January 10, 2012

Collectively delivered jazz albums almost always fall into one of three categories: some are outings from neophytes looking to pool their resources, while trying to build a fan base from the ground floor up; others marry the musical skills of seasoned musicians who've crossed paths in various situations and/or share a commonality in approach; and the most commercially successful, yet artistically regretfully, are usually hastily conceived or rendered performances that simply attach several big names to a project in order ...

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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 ...

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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." ...

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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 ...

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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 ...