John Edward Blake Jr. (July 3, 1947 – August 15, 2014) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...

ist from

South Philadelphia South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west."." ''City of Philadelphia''. Retrieved November 8, ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...

, United States. He performed most prominently as a

sideman A sideman is a professional musician who is hired to perform live with a solo artist, or with a group in which they are not a regular band member. The term is usually used to describe musicians that play with jazz or rock artists, whether solo o ...

in groups led by Grover Washington Jr. (in the late 1970s) and

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

(in the early 1980s), as well as led his own groups. His son Johnathan Blake is an accomplished jazz drummer, bandleader and composer. He died on August 15, 2014, from complications of

multiple myeloma Multiple myeloma (MM), also known as plasma cell myeloma and simply myeloma, is a cancer of plasma cells, a type of white blood cell that normally produces antibody, antibodies. Often, no symptoms are noticed initially. As it progresses, bone ...

Discography

As leader

* ''Maiden Dance'' ( Gramavision, 1984) * ''Twinkling of an Eye'' (Gramavision, 1985) * ''Rhythm & BLU'' (Gramavision, 1986) * ''Adventures of the Heart'' (Gramavision, 1987) * ''A New Beginning'' (Gramavision, 1988) * ''Quest'' (Sunnyside, 1992) * ''Motherless Child'' (Artists Recording Collective, 2010)

As sideman

With

James Newton James W. Newton (born May 1, 1953) is an American jazz and classical flutist. Biography He was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. From his earliest years, James Newton grew up immersed in the sounds of African-American music, inclu ...

* ''James Newton'' (Gramavision, 1983) * ''Luella'' (Gramavision, 1984) * ''The African Flower'' (

Blue Note Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it derived its name from the blue no ...

, 1985) With

* ''

Horizon The horizon is the apparent curve that separates the surface of a celestial body from its sky when viewed from the perspective of an observer on or near the surface of the relevant body. This curve divides all viewing directions based on whethe ...

'' (

Milestone A milestone is a numbered marker placed on a route such as a road, railway, railway line, canal or border, boundary. They can indicate the distance to towns, cities, and other places or landmarks like Mileage sign, mileage signs; or they c ...

, 1980) * '' La Leyenda de La Hora'' ( Columbia, 1981) * ''

Dimensions In physics and mathematics, the dimension of a mathematical space (or object) is informally defined as the minimum number of coordinates needed to specify any point within it. Thus, a line has a dimension of one (1D) because only one coordi ...

'' ( Elektra Musician, 1984) With Grover Washington Jr. * ''

Live at The Bijou ''Live at the Bijou'' is a 1977 live album by jazz saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. It was released via Kudu Records label. Reception Recorded live in May 1977 at the Bijou Cafe in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Released as a double album in ...

'' (Kudu, 1977) * '' Reed Seed'' (

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

, 1978) * ''

Paradise In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or both, often contrasted with the miseries of human ...

'' ( Elektra, 1979) With others *

Muhal Richard Abrams Muhal Richard Abrams (born Richard Lewis Abrams; September 19, 1930 – October 29, 2017) was an American educator, administrator, composer, arranger, clarinetist, cellist, and jazz pianist in the free jazz medium. He recorded and toured the Uni ...

, '' Colors in Thirty-Third'' (

Black Saint Black Saint and Soul Note are two affiliated Italy, Italian independent record labels. Since their conception in the 1970s, they have released albums from a variety of influential jazz musicians, particularly in the genre of free jazz. History ...

, 1987) *

Catalyst Catalysis () is the increase in rate of a chemical reaction due to an added substance known as a catalyst (). Catalysts are not consumed by the reaction and remain unchanged after it. If the reaction is rapid and the catalyst recycles quick ...

, ''Unity'' (

Muse In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

, 1974) * Catalyst, ''A Tear and a Smile'' (Muse, 1976) *

Norman Connors Norman Connors (born March 1, 1947) is an American jazz drummer, composer, arranger, and producer who has led a number of influential jazz and R&B groups. He also achieved several big R&B hits of the day, especially with love ballads. He is poss ...

, ''

You Are My Starship ''You Are My Starship '' is an album by the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania jazz drummer Norman Connors. Released in 1976 on Buddah Records, it featured bass player/vocalist Michael Henderson and Philadelphia vocalist Phyllis Hyman. The album reach ...

'' ( Buddah, 1976) *

Will Downing Wilfred "Will" Downing (born November 29, 1963) is an American R&B, soul, neo soul, and jazz singer and songwriter. He has released 22 studio albums. Biography Early life Downing was born and raised to a working-class family in Bedford-Stuy ...

, ''Moods'' ( Mercury, 1995) *

Carlos Garnett Carlos Garnett (December 1, 1938 - March 3, 2023) was a Panamanian-American jazz saxophonist. Biography Garnett was born on December 1, 1938, in Red Tank, Panama Canal Zone.He became interested in jazz after hearing the music of Louis Jordan an ...

, ''Let This Melody Ring On'' (Muse, 1975) *

Damon Harris Otis Robert "Damon" Harris Jr. (July 17, 1950 – February 18, 2013) was an American soul and R&B singer, most notable as a member of The Temptations from 1971 to 1975. Harris was the youngest member of The Temptations, joining the group at t ...

, ''Damon'' (

Fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

, 1978) * George Howard, ''Asphalt Gardens'' (Palo Alto, 1982) *

Cecil McBee Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of classic jazz albums. Biography Early life and career McBee was b ...

, '' Flying Out'' (

India Navigation India Navigation was an American record company and independent record label that specialized in avant-garde jazz in the 1970s and 1980s. It was founded by Bob Cummins, a corporate lawyer who helped jazz musicians with legal matters. Its catalogu ...

, 1982) *

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

, ''I'm Coming Home Again'' (Buddah, 1980) * Carmen McRae, ''Ms. Magic'' (Del Rack, 1986) * Marvin Peterson, ''Children of the Fire'' (Sunrise, 1974) * Vanessa Rubin, ''I'm Glad There Is You'' (

Novus/RCA Novus Records (later Arista Novus and RCA Novus) was an American jazz record label run by Steve Backer. Backer worked at Impulse! Records until 1974, when Clive Davis, founder of Arista Records, asked him to oversee the jazz division at Arista. ...

, 1994) *

Gilberto Santa Rosa Gilberto Santa Rosa Cortés (), nicknamed "El Caballero de la Salsa" (The Gentleman of Salsa) (born August 21, 1962), is a Puerto Rican bandleader and singer of salsa and bolero. He is a six-time Grammy Award winner and has sold over three mi ...

, ''En Vivo Desde El Carnegie Hall'' (

Sony is a Japanese multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at Sony City in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. The Sony Group encompasses various businesses, including Sony Corporation (electronics), Sony Semiconductor Solutions (i ...

, 1995) * Avery Sharpe, ''Legends & Mentors'' (JKNM, 2008) *

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

, '' Attica Blues'' ( Impulse!/ABC, 1972) * Archie Shepp, ''

The Cry of My People ''The Cry of My People'' is an album by avant-garde jazz saxophonist Archie Shepp released in 1972 on the Impulse! label. The album features performances by Shepp with gospel singers, big bands, quintets, sextets, and chamber orchestras. The Al ...

'' (Impulse!/ABC, 1973) * O. C. Smith, ''What'cha Gonna Do'' (Rendezvous, 1986) *

Jamaaladeen Tacuma Jamaaladeen Tacuma (born Rudy McDaniel; June 11, 1956) is an American jazz funk avant-garde bassist, composer and producer born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 197 ...

, ''Brotherzone'' (P-Vine, 1999) *

Steve Turre Stephen Johnson Turre (born September 12, 1948, in Omaha, Nebraska) is an American jazz trombonist and a pioneer of using Conch (instrument), seashells as instruments, a composer, arranger, and educator at the collegiate-conservatory level. For ...

, ''Fire and Ice'' ( Stash, 1988) * Steve Turre, ''Right There'' (

Antilles The Antilles is an archipelago bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the south and west, the Gulf of Mexico to the northwest, and the Atlantic Ocean to the north and east. The Antillean islands are divided into two smaller groupings: the Greater An ...

, 1991) *

James Blood Ulmer James "Blood" Ulmer (born February 8, 1940) is an American jazz, free funk and blues music, blues guitarist and singer. Ulmer plays a Gibson Byrdland guitar. His guitar sound has been described as "jagged" and "stinging". His singing has been ...

, ''

Harmolodic Guitar with Strings ''Harmolodic Guitar with Strings'' is an album by American guitarist James Blood Ulmer recorded in 1993 and released on the Japanese DIW label.Gerald Veasley Gerald Veasley (born July 28, 1955) is an American jazz bass guitarist. Veasley was born and raised in West Philadelphia, where he played in R&B groups as a teenager. He received a bass guitar for Christmas from his dad when he was 12 years old ...

, ''Look Ahead'' (Heads Up, 1992) * Gerald Veasley, ''Soul Control'' (Inak, 1997) *

Kazumi Watanabe is a Japanese guitarist. Other guitarists such as Luke Takamura and Sugizo have cited him as an influence. Career Watanabe learned guitar at the age of 12 from Sadanori Nakamure at the Yamaha Music School in Tokyo. He released his first album ...

, ''The Best Performance'' (Better Days, 1982) * Paula West, ''Come What May'' (Hi Horse, 2001) *

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, as well as working with guitarist Larry Coryell, the Thelonious Monk reperto ...

, ''Dreams Come True'' (Buddah, 1980)

References

Bibliography

*Richard Cook: ''Jazz Encyclopedia.'' Penguin, London, 2007,

External links

John Blake Jr. official site
1947 births 2014 deaths American jazz violinists American male violinists Deaths from multiple myeloma in the United States Jazz musicians from Philadelphia 20th-century American violinists 20th-century American male musicians American male jazz musicians Gramavision Records artists Sunnyside Records artists Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania 20th-century African-American musicians 21st-century African-American musicians {{US-violinist-stub