| “Of Kindred Souls” is
another original Blake composition. It was first recorded by Roy
Hargrove in 1993 on the CD of the same name, but has been re-cast
here with Regina Carter’s classic violin strains. Blake states, “I
was looking for a melody that would lend itself to a duet for violin
and tenor. Regina came and did what she does so well, adding a
beautiful color and presence to the song.” Bassist Christian
McBride, with whom Blake has worked for eight years, and who produced
Lest We Forget, is featured on Bobby Hutcherson’s composition, “Teddy,” and
also on the soulful “What Is Your Prayer For?” composed
by Blake. |
| As a musician who is at-home with the jazz
tradition, Blake also included some standards on the date. “Please
Be Kind,” from the Sammy Cahn songbook, is rendered in telepathic
reverence as a sax/piano duet. Blake, Cain, and the Brazilian percussionist
Gomes add their own interpretation to Ivan Lins’ immortal
composition, “The Island.” “This was a song Michael
suggested,” says Blake. “All we had to do was let it
play itself.” About “Remember The Rain,” the
other sax/piano duet featured on Shayari and another original composition,
he adds, “This song is related to ‘What Is Your Prayer
For?’ It’s a chance to interpret melody without harmonic
improvisation unlike other songs on the recording.” |
| Pianist Michael Cain’s influence on Shayari
is also evident on his two contributions, the Latin-tinged “76” and “Come
Sun,” a composition that highlights Blake’s classical
lyricism. Other selections include “Hanuman,” named
for the Hindu deity [from the Sanskrit epic Ramayan (Way of the
Rama) of ancient India]. The track, “Abhaari”—another
word from the sub-continent meaning “gratitude”—is
a two-movement composition that, along with “Hanuman,” was
composed collectively by Blake, Cain, and DeJohnette. |
| The origins of Ron Blake’s tradition-honed
eclecticism can be traced back to the Virgin Islands where he was
born and reared. At age 8, Blake took guitar lessons; then, two
years later, he switched to the alto saxophone in his elementary
school band. He loved playing calypso and other music from the
region. He graduated from Michigan’s Interlochen Arts Academy,
and later matriculated into Northwestern University in Evanston,
IL, where he received the Presidential Award for Outstanding Artistic
and Academic Achievement. In 1987, Blake’s jazz career began
in St. Thomas, where he taught in summer music programs. He was
introduced by, and performed with jazz luminaries Dizzy Gillespie,
Bobby Hutcherson, and Gary Bartz at the first Virgin Islands Jazz
Festival. Later, he won a National Endowment for the Arts Grant
to study with Bartz. After his graduation from Northwestern University,
Blake worked extensively in the Chicago-area with the Chicago Jazz
Orchestra, performing behind such legends as Louis Bellson, Clark
Terry, Nancy Wilson. He was mentored by many of the Windy City’s
jazz statesmen, including Von Freeman, Willie Pickens, and Bunky
Green. |
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