A Jazzman's Journey
By Christy
Day
His journey from childhood to un- conventional jazz phenomenon weaves through the heart of West Virginia University. John Blake grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, loving music. He learned to play the piano at the age of six and was introduced to the violin when he was eight years old. Eventually he would leave the cityscape of Philly, upon his high school graduation, for the hills of Morgantown, West Virginia. "I was introduced to the jazz violin at WVU in the 1960s," Blake explained, "and it changed my life." Anchored in a solid classical music tradition, Blake began to experiment and do what very few violinists were doing then or now; play jazz. He earned a bachelor of music from WVU in 1969.
His
mentor and advisor Dr. Phil Faini, professor emeritus, College
of Creative Arts, played a significant part in Blake's musical
development. "He understood jazz and encouraged me to explore
it. He was visionary. Dr. Faini had traveled to African countries
like Tanzania and Uganda and brought back musical instruments.
He had also studied and learned a lot about the rhythms and music
of those cultures. He was someone who was not afraid to step
away from the norm to explore genres that were not all that popular,"
explained Blake. It was through the guidance of Faini that Blake's
study of Beethoven and Brahms was melodically transformed into
the syncopated and improvised world of Miles Davis and Billy
Taylor.
As a professional musician, Blake joined the ranks of the downbeat elite. He spent a significant part of the 1970s playing with the legendary crossover jazz musician Grover Washington Jr., the Billy Taylor Trio, and the McCoy Tyner Trio. He would go on to perform with the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Each stint allowed him to carefully fine tune his abilities, leaving audiences and critics indelibly impressed. His career has also afforded him the opportunity to perform with jazz greats Dianne Reeves, Bobby McFarrin, and others.
In the mid-1980s Blake made a decision to step out on his own as a bandleader and composer, releasing five recordings on the Gramavision label. A sixth was later released on the Sunnyside label. Blake is currently in the studio working on a new release that will feature his original composition, A Tribute to Heroes, a song dedicated to his mother, who died last year.
Blake returned to Morgantown for a special performance during Black Alumni Weekend last October. "I can honestly say that I feel like I've come back home," Blake told the audience. "This has been such tremendous experience for me. I can't say enough," Blake continued. His time at WVU not only influenced him musically, but it also had a profound impact on him personally. "President Kennedy and his brother had been assassinated, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was also, and there were brewing issues of the Vietnam War and civil rights. I will tell you that what I learned there has really shaped me in a number of ways," he said. As a student, Blake was among the founders of the Black Unity Organization and was intrigued by issues facing African students. "I guess I knew that all of us at the University were a part of a family, and that we had to be concerned about everyone's well-being."
That belief has certainly carried over into other aspects of John Blake Jr.'s life. He not only serves as a musician, author, and composer, but also as a teacher and lecturer. When he is not touring, you may find Blake at one of 200 workshops and performances he does each year in Philadelphia public schools. "I try to find a way to engage students because for many of them this may be the only exposure they have to jazz and the arts," Blake said. He doesn't believe in missing opportunities to touch lives and tries to makes the most of his time in the classroom. He serves as a faculty member at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and at the Manhattan School of Music in New York, and he has been a guest lecturer at Berklee School of Music in Boston.
While his art takes him on an ongoing journey, John Blake Jr.'s heart remains perfectly centered. He loves his music, he loves his community, and he wants to make sure both have the opportunity to meet.