Blake, Ron
Mack Avenue, 2005, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 11.3
Jazz Ruler Type: R&B+Jazz
Performance: 4
Sound: 4
Score:
O’s Notes: Ron plays tenor and soprano sax. He is surrounded by Michael Cain (p, o); Christian McBride or Reuben Rogers on bass; Chris Dave or Terreon Gully on drums and a few others. They are playing a new set of Blake’s compositions. The mood varies from imaginative and spacey on “Your Warm Embrace” to heavily syncopated songs like “Chasing The Sun”. There is also a hint of Latin mystery on “Tom Blake”, dedicated to his father, and well-developed ballads like “The Windmills of Your Mind”. This CD further demonstrates that Ron has a firm grip on neobop and a pleasant way of presenting it. There is also a bonus remix CD!