Johnathan Blake

An adept jazz drummer, Johnathan Blake has distinguished himself as both a first-call sideman and leader in his own right. Steeped in the Philly jazz traditions of players like Mickey Roker and Philly Joe Jones, Blake first emerged in the 2000s on the East Coast. Although primarily known for his work in the acoustic, post-bop style with outfits like the Mingus Big Band and veteran players like Tom Harrell and Kenny Barron, Blake has moved ably between straight-ahead and more genre-bending styles, contributing to projects by Jaleel Shaw, Omer Avital, Questlove, and others. A gi...