Jazz Articles about Seamus Blake

Seamus Blake Quartet: Live in Italy

by Warren Allen
March 14, 2009

Back in 2002, Seamus Blake established himself firmly as tenor player of interest with a first place finish in the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Since then, his rapidly growing discography, as well as collaborations with artists like John Scofield, suggests that the attention is well-deserved.

Even still, Blake's first live release represents a major step forward for the saxophonist. This two-disc set, culled from several shows in Italy, finds him cutting loose with a quartet ...

Seamus Blake: Way Out Willy

by John Kelman
May 8, 2007

It's been six years since Seamus Blake's last recording for Criss Cross, and the tenor saxophonist wasn't thinking about a new one until approached in 2006 by label owner/producer Gerry Teekens. The result, Way Out Willy, has the spontaneous feel of a session more focused on improvisation than composition.

That's not to say the six Blake originals are anything but thoroughly engaging. But in a time where his contemporaries are often approaching the modern mainstream through more complex compositional constructs, ...

Mike Pope: The Lay of the Land

by Alexander M. Stern
August 25, 2003

In a year that has already produced a number of excellent recordings, Mike Pope's The Lay of the Land may well be one of the best. It's certainly one of the most exciting new albums this reviewer has heard in a long time. Pope, who excels on both acoustic and electric bass, has surrounded himself with major label talent for this indie label release: both Randy and Michael Brecker make appearances, saxophonist Seamus Blake appears on two tracks; guitarist Mike ...

Mike Pope: The Lay of the Land

by Phil DiPietro
November 15, 2002

Mike Pope plays a mean piano. He's also a noted inventor, designing and building pre-amps for the boutique bass builders Fodera. But really he's a bassist; and not surprisingly, a skilled, er... pontif--icator on both electric and acoustic. He's also a fine mainstream jazz composer and has assembled an all-star cast of musicians here, including heavy hitters the Brecker Brothers, Mike Stern, Joe Locke, Jeff “Tain" Watts and his doubling double John Patitucci to assist in expressing his vision. Bloomdaddy ...

Seamus Blake/The Bloomdaddies: Mosh For Lovers

by Mark Corroto
September 12, 2002

Saxophonist Seamus Blake asks the musical question: why can’t jazz musicians be rock stars too? His band Bloomdaddies delivers the answer: The square root of pi cannot be written with much certainty.

In other words, rocks stars are rock stars because of the swagger factor, not (in most cases) musicianship. The Bloomdaddies have plenty of swank AND the musical credentials to back up their braggadocio.

Saxophonists Seamus Blake and Chris Cheek both have impressive discographies. ...