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Alex Blake

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For other people named Alex Blake, see Alex Blake (disambiguation).
Alex Blake
Alex Blake performing with Randy Weston, Billy Harper and Neil Clarke at the Jazz Standard, March 2007
Alex Blake performing with Randy Weston, Billy Harper and Neil Clarke at the Jazz Standard, March 2007
Background information
Birth nameAlejandro Blake Fearon Jr.
Born (1951-12-21) December 21, 1951 (age 72)
GenresJazz
OccupationMusician
Instrument(s)Double bass, bass guitar
Websitealexblakebass.com

Alex Blake (born Alejandro Blake Fearon Jr.) is a jazz bass player.

Biography

Blake was born in Panama and moved to the United States at the age of 7, growing up in Brooklyn, NY. He began his career with Sun Ra in his band Arkestra. He became one of the major proponents of the fusion movement in the late 1970s with his writing and performances with Lenny White and Billy Cobham.[1]

A live performance compilation was released by Bubble Core Records in 2000 titled Now Is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory. The album featured Blake's own quintet, which included Pharoah Sanders, Victor Jones, John Hicks and Neil Clarke (percussion).[2]

In addition to leading his own group, Blake also performs and records with Randy Weston, as well as other musicians.

Discography

Alex Blake

As leader

  • Especially for You (Denon, 1979)
  • Now Is the Time (Bubble Core, 2000)

As sideman

With Billy Cobham

With The Manhattan Transfer

  • Bodies and Souls (Atlantic, 1983)
  • Bop Doo-Wopp (Atlantic, 1984)
  • Vocalese (Atlantic, 1985)
  • Live (Atlantic, 1987)
  • The Offbeat of Avenues (Columbia, 1991)
  • Man-Tora! Live in Tokyo (Rhino, 1996)

With Pharoah Sanders

With Sun Ra

  • It's After the End of the World (MPS/BASF, 1971)
  • My Brother the Wind Vol II (El Saturn, 1971)
  • Newport Jazz Festival the Electric Circus (Transparency, 2009)
  • Live in London (Transparency, 2010)
  • Live at the Red Garter (Transparency, 2013)
  • In the Orbit of Ra (Strut/Art Yard, 2014)
  • The Intergalactic Thing (Roaratorio, 2016)

With Kazumi Watanabe

  • Lonesome Cat (Denon, 1978)
  • Village in Bubbles (Better Days, 1978)
  • The Best Performance (Better Days, 1982)

With Randy Weston

  • African Sunrise (Antilles, 1992)
  • Saga (Verve/Gitanes, 1995)
  • Khepera (Verve, 1998)
  • The Spirits of Our Ancestors (Verve, 1992)
  • Spirit! The Power of Music (Gitanes, 2000)
  • Live in St. Lucia (Image, 2003)
  • Zep Tepi (Random Chance, 2006)
  • The Storyteller (Motema, 2010)

With others

References

  1. ^ Randy Weston website, African Rhythms.
  2. ^ Taylor, Ken. "Alex Blake Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
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