LIVESTREAM: Johnathan Blake Quintet “My Life Matters”

Fri, Aug 08

Dayna Stephens – saxophones & EWI (wed - fri) Morgan Guerin – saxophones & EWI (sat - sun) Jalen Baker – vibraphone Fabian Almazan – piano & keyboards Dezron Douglas – bass (except Sat) Matt Brewer Bass (Sat only) Johnathan Blake – drums “Blake is a drummer of volcanic power and deep soul.” —NPR Music Drummer and composer Johnathan Blake—whose dynamic playing, artistic vision, and innate versatility led NPR to call him “the ultimate modernist” — previews the music of his new album on Blue Note Records, “My Life Matters,” with his always rewarding quintet. The group features Dayna Stephens on saxophones and EWI (electronic wind instrument), Jalen Baker on vibraphone, Fabian Almazan on piano and keyboard, and Dezron Douglas on bass. Saxophonist Morgan Guerin replaces Stephens on Saturday and Sunday and Matt Brewer replaces Douglas on Saturday. The New York Times says, “Blake’s drumming is as bold as thunder and as subtle as the patter of rain.” The Guardian adds, “his command of time is quite unbelievable – tricky and playful but accurate to the millisecond.” His new My Life Matters is a suite of songs that serves as a dual treatise on the importance of family values and the social imperative to stand up in the face of injustice.