Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ron Blake, feat. Reuben Rogers & John Hadfield: SCRATCH Band

10

Ron Blake, feat. Reuben Rogers & John Hadfield: SCRATCH Band

By

View read count
Ron Blake, feat. Reuben Rogers & John Hadfield: SCRATCH Band
There several interesting features that single out saxophonist Ron Blake's new recording with what he refers to as his SCRATCH Band. First, the Puerto Rican-born Blake, best known for his work on tenor saxophone, plays baritone sax on five of the album's nine numbers, tenor sax on only three, tenor and soprano (separately) on one of his four original compositions, "Appointment." Second, the SCRATCH Band is actually a duo with bassist Reuben Rogers on four tracks, a trio with drummer and percussionist John Hadfield sitting in on the others.

The term "SCRATCH band," Blake writes, refers to "a tradition of folk music performed by storytellers and groove makers in the community [he] grew up with in the Virgin Islands." Blake has clearly taken that custom to heart, as he is a first-rate storyteller on every horn. He is also a stellar groove maker, as are his able companions, Rogers and Hadfield. The grooves they tend to favor, however, are for the most part medium-tempo and easygoing, with "Appointment" the lone outlier, trotting at a relatively brighter and more rapid pace.

Besides "Appointment," Blake also wrote "Grace Ann," "Song for Maya" and "April's Fool," none of which raises the over-all temperature above moderate. Completing the program are Winston Bailey's "Bassman," Roy Hargrove's "Another Level," Quelvis Cruz's "La Conga de Juana," the standard "Body and Soul" and the inspiring anthem "Lift Every Voice and Sing." Rogers' robust bass plays a prominent role on "Body and Soul," "Level," "Grace Ann" and "Song for Maya," on which he and Blake perform sans Hadfield.

The drums add weight and color on the opening "Bassman," "Lift Every Voice," "Appointment" and the closing numbers, "La Conga de Juana" and "April's Fool," on each of which Blake unlimbers his soulful baritone, which brings to mind Serge Chaloff, Cecil Payne and Nick Brignola, among others. As a showcase for Blake's warmth and versatility, the SCRATCH Band serves its purpose well, and it rests easily on the ears while marshaling a hearty and appetizing banquet. Just do not expect any fireworks.

Track Listing

Bassman; Body and Soul; Another Level; Lift Every Voice and Sing; Grace Ann; Appointment; Song for Maya; La Conga de Juana; April's Fool.

Personnel

Ron Blake
saxophone
Reuben Rogers
bass, acoustic

Album information

Title: SCRATCH Band | Year Released: 2025 | Record Label: 7tēn33 Productions

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.