Alex Blake
For the cricketer of the same name, see Alex Blake (cricketer).
| Alex Blake | |
|---|---|
 Alex Blake performing with Randy Weston, Billy Harper and Neil Clarke (percussion) at the Jazz Standard, March 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | December 21, 1951 |
| Genres | post-bop, jazz |
| Occupation(s) | Musician |
| Instruments | Double bass, Bass Guitar |
| Labels | Verve Records, Sunnyside Records, Random Chance, Muse Records, Atlantic Records, Rhino Records, CTI Records, Black Saint, Koch Records, Columbia Records, Tomato Records, Charly Records, Elektra Records, Raven Records, MCA Records, Waterlily Acoustics, Warner Bros. Records, Arista Records, A&M Records, Mercury Records, Hip-O Records, Arabesque Records, Ubiquity Records, RED Ink Records, Downtown Records |
| Associated acts | Sun Ra Arkestra |
| Website | http://www.alexblakebass.com/ |
Alex Blake (born Alejandro Blake Fearon, Jr.)[1] is a post-bop jazz double-bassist and electric bass guitarist.
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.[2]
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).[3]
In addition to leading his own group, Blake also performs and records with Randy Weston, as well as other musicians.
Discography
As leader
Alex Blake
| Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Now Is the Time: Live at the Knitting Factory | 2000 | Bubble Core |
As sideman
| Randy Weston Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Spirits of Our Ancestors | 1991 | Verve Records |
| Saga | 1995 | Verve Records |
| Khepara | 1998 | Verve Records |
| Live in St. Lucia | 2003 | Image Records |
| Spirit! The Power of Music | 2003 | Sunnyside Records |
| Zep Tepi, The Randy Weston African Rhythms Trio | 2006 | Random Chance |
| Carlos Garnett Album | Year | Label |
| Black Love | 1974 | Muse Records |
| Billy Cobham Album | Year | Label |
| Shabazz | 1974 | Atlantic Records |
| Total Eclipse | 1974 | Atlantic Records |
| Funky Side of Things | 1975 | Atlantic Records |
| Introducing Billy Cobham | 2006 | WEA International |
| Rudiments: The Billy Cobham Anthology | 2001 | Rhino Records |
| Airto Album | Year | Label |
| Virgin Land | 1974 | CTI Records |
| Charles Sullivan Album | Year | Label |
| Genesis | 1974 | Strata-East |
| Don Pullen Album | Year | Label |
| Capricorn Rising | 1975 | Black Saint |
| Tomorrow's Promises | 1977 | Koch Records |
| Frank Lowe Album | Year | Label |
| The Flam | 1975 | Black Saint |
| Arif Mardin Album | Year | Label |
| Journey (Atlantic, 1974) | 1975 | Atlantic Records |
| Sonny Rollins Album | Year | Label |
| The Way I Feel | 1976 | Milestone Records/OJC |
| Yusef Lateef Album | Year | Label |
| Autophysiopsychic | 1977 | CTI Records |
| Lenny White Album | Year | Label |
| Big City | 1977 | Nemperor Records |
| The Adventures of Astral Pirates | 1978 | Elektra Records |
| The Last Poets Album | Year | Label |
| Delights in the Garden | 1977 | Charly Records |
| Pharoah Sanders Album | Year | Label |
| Love Will Find a Way | 1977 | Arista Records |
| Beyond a Dream | 1978 | Arista Records |
| Save Our Children | 1999 | Verve Records |
| Ryo Kawasaki Album | Year | Label |
| Nature's Revenge | 1978 | MPS Records |
| Cory Daye Album | Year | Label |
| Cory and Me | 1979 | New York |
| Dizzy Gillespie Album | Year | Label |
| Endlessly | 1987 | MCA Records |
| Gabrielle Roth Album | Year | Label |
| Totem | 1982 | Raven Records |
| The Manhattan Transfer Album | Year | Label |
| Bodies and Souls | 1983 | Atlantic Records |
| Bop Doo-Wopp | 1984 | Atlantic Records |
| Man-Tora! Live in Tokyo | 1984 | Rhino Records |
| Vocalese | 1985 | Atlantic Records |
| Manhattan Transfer Live: 1987 | 1987 | Atlantic Records |
| The Offbeat of Avenues | 1991 | Columbia Records |
| Anthology: Down in Birdland | 1992 | Rhino Records |
| Janis Siegel Album | Year | Label |
| At Home | 1987 | Atlantic Records |
| Jimmy Buffett Album | Year | Label |
| Hot Water | 1988 | MCA Records |
| Joey DeFrancesco Album | Year | Label |
| All of Me | 1989 | Columbia Records |
| Brownie McGhee Album | Year | Label |
| Rainy Day | 1989 | Tomato Records |
| Blues Is Truth | 1996 | Blues Alliance |
| Earl Klugh Album | Year | Label |
| Whispers and Promises | 1989 | Warner Bros. Records |
| Dom Um Romao Album | Year | Label |
| Saudades | 1993 | Waterlily Acoustics |
| Norman Hedman Album | Year | Label |
| Flight of the Spirit | 1994 | Monad Records |
| Vertical Hold Album | Year | Label |
| Head First | 1995 | A&M Records |
| Chico Freeman Album | Year | Label |
| Sweet Explosion | 1990 | In & Out Records |
| Ahmed Abdullah Album | Year | Label |
| Dedication | 1997 | CIMP Records |
| Tara's Song | 2005 | Tum Records |
| Greg Bandy Album | Year | Label |
| Lightning in a Bottle | 1997 | Big Ox Records |
| Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Research Arkestra Album | Year | Label |
| Black Myth/Out in Space | 1970 | Mercury Records |
| Phyllis Hyman Album | Year | Label |
| One on One | 1998 | Hip-O Records |
| Andrienne Wilson Album | Year | Label |
| She's Dangerous | 1998 | Arabesque Records |
| Mac Gollehon Album | Year | Label |
| Smokin' Live | 1999 | McKenzie Entertainment |
| Babatunde Lea Album | Year | Label |
| March of the Jazz Guerillas | 2000 | Ubiquity Records |
| Stan Getz Album | Year | Label |
| The Final Concert Recording | 2001 | Red Ink |
| Roman Kunsman Album | Year | Label |
| Heavy Skies | 1997 | Downtown Records |
| Carmen McRae Album | Year | Label |
| Live in Tokyo/Vocalese Live, Vol. 1 | 2004 | Eagle Eye Media |
| Kazumi Watanabe Album | Year | Label |
| Village In Bubbles | 2004 | J-Room Jazz |
| Cafe Soul All-Stars Album | Year | Label |
| Love Pages | 2005 | YOU Entertainment |
| Carmen Lundy Album | Year | Label |
| Night and Day | 1987 | CBS/Sony |
Compilations
| Album | Year | Label |
|---|---|---|
| Wildflowers: The New York Loft Jazz Sessions (Complete) | 1976 | Knitting Factory |
| Atlantic Jazz: Best of the '70s | 1994 | Rhino/Atlantic |
| Latin Jazz Experience | 1996 | Pho Records |
| Viva Cubop!, Vol. 2: Dance the Afro-Cuban Way | 2000 | Cubop Records |
References
- ↑ Biography at alexblakebass.com
- ↑ Randy Weston website, African Rhythms.
- ↑ Taylor, Ken. "Alex Blake Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2007-06-25.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Alex Blake. |
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