JOHNATHAN BLAKE QUARTET

TJG Mentoring Series Vol. 9 presents The Johnathan Blake Quartet ftg. Dabin Ry

Johnathan Blake, one of the most accomplished drummers of his generation, has also proven himself a complete and endlessly versatile musician. Blake’s gift for composition and band leading reflects years of live and studio experience across the aesthetic spectrum. Heralded by NPR Music as “the ultimate modernist,” he has collaborated with Pharoah Sanders, Ravi Coltrane, Tom Harrell, Hans Glawischnig, Avishai Cohen, Donny McCaslin, Linda May Han Oh, Jaleel Shaw, Chris Potter, Maria Schneider, Alex Sipiagin, Kris Davis and countless other distinctive voices. DownBeat once wrote, “It’s a testament to Blake’s abilities that he makes his presence felt in any context.” A frequent presence on Blue Note records over the past several years, Blake has contributed his strong, limber pulse and airy precision to multiple leader releases from Blue Note artists including Dr. Lonnie Smith’s Breathe (2021), All in My Mind (2018) and Evolution (2016) and Kenny Barron’s Concentric Circles (2018), the latter whose trio Blake has been a vital member for nearly 15 years.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Bobby Battle was born on January 8, 1944 and grew up in Detroit, Michigan. He moved to New York City in 1968, playing with Roland Kirk and Pharoah Sanders shortly after his arrival.

He studied at New York University from 1972 to 1975. He played with Don Pullen and Sam Rivers through the late 1970s, and worked often with Arthur Blythe in the 1980s and 1990s. He also worked with Kenny Dorham, Sonny Stitt, and Sonny Fortune. He worked as a duo with Jimmy Ponder in 1987.

Battle’s only release as a leader is The Offering, issued in 1990 on Mapleshade, on which Battle leads a quartet with David Murray, Larry Willis, and Santi Debriano. As a sideman he recorded four albums with Arthur Blythe and four with Don Pullen.

Drummer Bobby Battle, who occasionally played saxophone, died on December 6, 2019 in his hometown.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

William “Keg” Purnell  was born on January 7, 1915 in Charleston, West Virginia. He studied at West Virginia State College from 1932 to 1934, and played with the Campus Revellers while there. He toured for a year with King Oliver in 1934, then freelanced with his own trio in the late 1930s. In 1939, he worked with Thelonious Monk.

By the end of the decade and into the 1940s Keg was playing in the bands of Benny Carter, Claude Hopkins, and Eddie Heywood. He also recorded with Rex Stewart, Teddy Wilson, and Willie “The Lion” Smith. Late in his career he played with Snub Mosley in 1957 and subsequently on.

Drummer Keg Purnell, whose influences included Chick Webb and Big Sid Catlett died on June 25, 1965 at the age of 50.

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NICK COLLINS SEXTET

Drummer and bandleader Nick Collins is proud to present his sextet at the Blue LLama Jazz Club, featuring a fun variety of high-energy modern, classic, and original jazz. With deep roots in Ann Arbor, Nick lived and played music in New York City from 1998 to 2004, and returned to his hometown in 2004 to start a family. This dynamic sextet features internationally renowned locals Dwight Adams on trumpet, Tim Haldeman on tenor saxophone, Rick Roe on piano, and Jeff Pedraz on bass. Over the years Nick has played with other local legends such as Randy Napoleon, Josef Deas, Vincent Chandler, Glenn Tucker, Dan Bennett, and Justin Walter.

There is no cover and reservations are not required for this show.

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HERLIN RILEY QUARTET

New Orleans is a drummer’s town. But in this town full of first class drummers, Herlin Riley is “the” drummer. The Baron of the Boom Boom. The Pulse that keeps the life flowing through any body of work.

Born into a musical family steeped in gospel, blues, and jazz, Herlin was asked by Wynton Marsalis to join him in New York City in 1988 where Herlin stayed for almost two decades, all the while maintaining a home in New Orleans. He is still a regularly featured musician with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, but has been based back in his hometown for several years now — that is, when he wasn’t on tour with Ahmad Jamal, Dr. John, or Harry Connick Jr. He lights up any stage with just his presence alone, and always fires up the first class musicians who love to play with him.

Quartet
Herlin Riley – drums, percussion, vocals
Roland Guerin – bass
Kyle Roussel – piano
Derek Douget – saxophones

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