The Breakdown: Swing Beat w/ Johnathan Blake
Jazz’s Best Break It All Down for You
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Drummer and composer Johnathan Blake takes a deep dive into the swing beat — the heartbeat of modern jazz — citing inspirational examples, the mnemonic device he uses to keep the feel in his head, building the rhythm from the all-important ride cymbal beat, creating a dialog among all four limbs, and playing at various tempos.
Known worldwide for his 15-year membership in Kenny Barron’s working trio and sideman duty with Pharoah Sanders, Chris Potter, Bill Frisell, and Tom Harrell, among others, Blake is one of the most accomplished drummers in modern jazz.
The son of the late jazz violin legend John Blake Jr., Blake carries on the proud and fiery lineage of Philadelphia jazz drumming that includes Philly Joe Jones, Joe Chambers, Mickey Roker, Sunny Murray, and Donald Bailey.
From his early club experiences with organ great Shirley Scott to the present day, Blake has amassed a staggering résumé, has appeared on over 80 albums to date, and released four acclaimed recordings as a leader.
He presented the West Coast premiere of his newest project My Life Matters in the Joe Henderson Lab in February 2024 with saxophonist Dayna Stephens, vibraphonist Jalen Baker, pianist Fabian Almazan, and bassist Dezron Douglas. View a full-length video of their performance on-demand here.
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