Ron Blake

Ron Blake is a protean figure in jazz—as a longstanding member of the Saturday Night Live band and valued collaborator with Christian McBride’s bands, as a Juilliard faculty member, and as an engaged cultural advocate for the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he was born and raised. He began studying guitar at 8 and turned to the saxophone at 10, and he attended Northwestern University. He taught at the University of South Florida before moving to New York, where he spent five years as trumpeter in Roy Hargrove's quintet, and seven years playing flugelhorn in Art Farmer's group. Blake then formed his own quartet, which included pianist Shedrick Mitchell, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Greg Hutchinson. He has made more than 40 recordings with his contemporaries as well as with legendary artists Benny Golson, Jimmy Smith, Dianne Reeves, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Arthur Taylor, and Art Farmer. He has performed at major jazz festivals and clubs internationally and has shared the stage with jazz greats including Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Hutcherson, Roy Haynes, and Ray Brown. Blake’s album Mistaken Identity was released in the fall of 2023 on his 7tēn33 Productions label.