MySpace a place for friends

Read the complete review under Music at: www.courant.com

ALEX BLAKE

As bassist & band leader Alex Blake is proof that his versatility and acoustic ability lends itself to reshaping the concept of the bass as a lead instrument…

Alex began playing professionally by the time he was twelve. Alex's education did not end with success on the bandstand however. He continued to study privately with some of the great teachers of stringed instruments, composition, theory, as well as arranging. Reggie Workman and Harry Constant at The New Muse in Brooklyn, Melonie Punter and Akua Dixon at the String Reunion and composer/recording artist Richard Davis all helped to hone Alex's already accomplished and individual style

Alex began to collaborate creatively on the inception of some of the more recognized Afro-Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Latino Jazz artists including Mongo Santamaria. Machito (Maria Bauza), and Celia Cruz to name a few. By the time he was sixteen, Alex had reached the epitome of "outside" success by touring and recording with Sun Ra. From there, at the ripe old age of seventeen, Alex had moved on to play with Dizzy Gillespie, which catapulted the demand for his presence to an international basis. The calls poured in from Freddie Hubbard, McCoy Tyner, Randy Weston, Pharoah Sanders and many others who desired his inventive interpretations on the bass.

Many who work with Alex consider him an entire rhythm section on his own, with his evocation of rhythm guitar and steady drumming, along with lyrical bass lines emanating from his own two hands. If one counts the occasional scat singing over some of his solos, one might be inclined to call him the whole band and give him the horn chair as well…Verve Records

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

ABOUT THE BLAKE QUARTET

Ted Cruz - Keyboards

Since graduating from the University of North Texas in 1990, Mr. Cruz has been active with both recording and performing with various jazz, rock, R&B and classical music-recording artists all over the world. His current jazz and improvisational musical exploits include recording and touring worldwide with the Alex Blake Quartet.

Ted’s production and arranging has been recognized and acclaimed by Billboard, Downbeat, Vibe and Rolling Stone magazines. His recent composition works include a Meet The Composer grant for the improvisational score to Tetsuo The Iron Man, which was performed at the Knitting Factory in New York, and he also composed the music for the opening and closing ceremonies of the millennium celebration in Times Square, New York City.

Mr. Cruz's recent forays into film and television music has his work featured on HBOs PSA series and he scored the television documentaries Creating Counterparts which was selected as the best documentary at the 2003 Kansas City Film Festival, and Flag Wars in 2002 for PBS Television. Recent independent CD productions include Pete Muller's "More Than This" (2004) and Theresa Sareo's "Alive Again" (2005).

Chris Hunter -Sax & Flute

Originally from London England, Chris Hunter moved to New York in 1983 at the invitation of Gil Evans to join his legendary Monday Night Orchestra. He quickly established himself as one of the leading Journeyman freelance musicians in the city and began working regularly with artists such as Michel Camilo, Hiram Bullock, and Robben Ford.

In addition Chris became a regularly featured soloist on an wide variety of recordings, including themes for Oprah, Regis and Kelly, Ted Koppel, etc and an infinite variety of guest appearances on records. Jonathan Butler, Larry Coryell, Tania Maria, Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, Sting, Robbie Robertson, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra are just a few of the performers who have utilized his skills.

Recent work has included extensive touring with Michael Franks, The Manhattan Jazz Orchestra, The Super Latin Band, The Manhattan Transfer as well as an unending stream of work in the Jazz Orchestras of George Gruntz, Mike Gibbs, Michel Camilo. Known primarily as an Alto player, Chris is featured extensively on Tenor Soprano and Flute.

Victor Jones - Drums

Born in Newark, New Jersey in 1954, Victor Jones started his musical journey-playing trumpet in the symphonic orchestra of the Elmwood Elementary School in East Orange. After 10 years of studying the instrument, he developed an intense interest in the drums as a result of seeing the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show. While Jones continued his trumpet playing, the drums became his real passion.

As a teenager, he won several awards for outstanding musicianship, and in 1975, was discovered by Lou Donaldson. This led to a string of prestigious gigs, including two years with Donaldson's outfit and then a stint with Stan Getz's band.

Touring with Getz introduced Jones to an international audience, and he has since toured and recorded with a multitude of renown artists, such as James Moody, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, Stanley Clarke, Phyllis Hyman, Stanley Turrentine, Masabumi Kikuchi, Michel Pettruciani, Dizzy Gillespie and Chaka Khan. For the last two years, he has been touring with the world famous Jimmy Scott.

As one of the most prolific and eclectic drummers of today's jazz, Jones has contributed work on the 2000 GRAMMY---nominated Michael Wolff album Impure Thoughts, and Yamaha artist Mino Cinélu's score for the 1997 Oscar-nominated documentary Colors Straight Up.

Try the BEST MySpace Editor and MySpace Layouts at MySpace Toolbox!

BubbleShare: Share photos - Thanksgivingtime!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------   I edited my profile with Thomas Myspace Editor V4.4 (www.strikefile.com/myspace) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------