Born: December Primary Instrument: Bass
The Alex Blake Quartet: Alex Blake - Electric & Acoustic Bass, Chris Hunter - Sax, Ted Cruz / Benito Gonzalez - Keyboards, Victor Jones - Drums, Neil Clarke - Percussion.
Alex Blake's recording and touring dates read like a “who's who” of all the “who's” that have ever played jazz!
When looking at his list of accomplishments, it is surprising that the creative bass stylings of Alex Blake have not reached the status of “household word”. The range of Alex Blake's talent is bordering on phenomenal, as a plethora of musicians in virtually every style call upon him for truly unique bass playing.
Dizzy Gillespie, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra, Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Stan Getz, McCoy Tyner The Last Poets, Max Roach, Art Blakey, Billy Cobham, The Manhattan Transfer, Astrud Gilberto, Pharaoh Sanders and Randy Weston,......to name a few.
They have all chosen Alex as a source of versatility, strength, and originality. This has been happening since he was a child, and with his background and experience, it is no wonder that many have called him a prodigy.
Alex Blake was born in Panama where, as a child, he enjoyed the infusion of cultures common in Central America. Acting as a bridge between North and South America, Panama captures a little bit of each culture passing through. It only follows that as one of the building blocks to his character, this environmental influence would later be echoed in his uncanny ability to play every style of music. Alex moved with his family to the United States when he was seven years old, and continued to be influenced by his environment, which this time round was Brooklyn, New York
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal 2005, Day 3 By Andrey Henkin
Bassist Alex Blake, who wowed the crowd with his seated, heavily percussive upright bass attack. Though Weston and guest Candido, conguero supremo, were the top billing, Blake stole the show with his unique approach.
Blake's remarkable soloing on “African Sunrise” employed every imaginable aspect of his instrument. Tapping on the wood, strumming, sliding his fingers up and down the strings, scatting along with his bass lines, he displayed incredible virtuosity combined with inventive musicality in a fashion that was stunningly entertaining.” “ Don Heckman, The Los Angeles Times
Alex Blake Acoustic & Electric Bass, Vocals
Pharoah Sanders Tenor Sax
John Hicks Piano
Victor Jones drums
Neil Clarke Percussion
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