Violinist John Blake in Media on January 18th
Appearing at Jazz in Media! at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 145 W. Rose Tree Road in Media PA, on January 18th, 2012 will be jazz violinist John Blake, Jr.
John Blake, Jr.
b.1943
violin
with his band. One Show: 7:30-9 p.m. $10/$5 students. No advance sales. For info: 610-745-3011. Free refreshments and free on-site parking.
John Blake
John Blake
b.1947
violin
, Jr. has been one of the world's leading jazz violinists for over four decades. A four-time winner of the DownBeat Critics' Poll Violinist Deserving Wider Recognition category, he was also one of the top two jazz violinists in the 49th, 50th, and 51st DownBeat Readers' Poll.
Classically trained, Blake first gained recognition on early-'70s recordings he made with Archie Shepp
Archie Shepp
b.1937
saxophone
and in the mid-70s became established with a global audience during three years recording and touring as a member of Grover Washington, Jr.
Grover Washington, Jr.
1943 - 1999
saxophone
's popular “crossover" jazz band. He then spent five years working extensively as a member of various ensembles led by pianist McCoy Tyner
McCoy Tyner
b.1938
piano
. Among other artists with whom Blake has performed and/or recorded with are the Duke Ellington
Duke Ellington
1899 - 1974
piano
Orchestra, Turtle Island String Quartet
Turtle Island String Quartet
, Quartette Indigo
Quartette Indigo
, the Steve Turre
Steve Turre
b.1948
trombone
Sextet, the Billy Taylor
Billy Taylor
1921 - 2010
piano
Trio, Avery Sharpe
Avery Sharpe
bass, acoustic
, Cecil McBee
Cecil McBee
b.1935
bass, acoustic
, Jay Hoggard
Jay Hoggard
b.1954
vibraphone
and James Newton
James Newton
b.1953
. Blake released his recording debut as a leader and composer Maiden Dance in 1984, the first of five well-received projects on Gramavision Records including one that teamed him up with fellow jazz violinists Michal Urbaniak
Michal Urbaniak
violin
and Didier Lockwood
Didier Lockwood
b.1956
violin
. He released his sixth album Quest that reunited him with Grover and featured Joe Ford
Joe Ford
b.1947
saxophone
, Charles Fambrough
Charles Fambrough
1950 - 2011
bass
, Ben Riley
Ben Riley
b.1933
drums
, Omar Hill and Joey Calderazzo
Joey Calderazzo
b.1965
piano
on Sunnyside Records in 1992. Blake's first recording with his current quartet, The Traveler, was released in 2007.
Born in Philadelphia on July 3, 1947, Blake began studying violin in that city's public school system and at the Settlement Music School. After graduating from West Virginia University he did postgraduate work at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Montreux, Switzerland and received a grant to study studied East Indian music. In addition to his work as an instrumentalist performing with his quartet and as a featured guest soloist at concerts and on studio sessions, Blake is also an accomplished composer, arranger and producer as well as an author, teacher and lecturer who presents hundreds of workshops annually to musicians at all levels. He co-wrote with Suzuki educator Jody Harmon J.I.M.E., the definitive beginning string jazz method book and CD in use around the world. In addition to lecturing on campuses throughout the US, Blake is on the faculty of the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, and has been a guest lecturer at Berklee College of Music in Boston. In 2004 he was appointed to the Basler Chair of Excellence for the winter semester at East Tennessee State University and that year also was awarded a Chamber Music America Jazz Composer Grant.
