Homage to the Greats

Michael Blake Quartet Pays Homage to Tenor Sax Greats
March 7, 2016

Saxophonist and composer Michael Blake and his quartet perform at Sonoma State University on Wednesday, March 9 as part of their West Coast Tour, performing on Jazz Forum at 1 p.m. in GMC 1029 and in concert at 7:30 p.m. in Weill Hall in the Green Music Center.

Blake's music bristles with originality and vision. His latest album "Tiddy Boom" is a hard-swinging homage to tenor sax titans Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young. The title stems from Young's famously onomatopoeic instruction to drummers on how to articulate his preferred ride cymbal beat.

Blake's quartet features pianist Frank Kimbrough and bassist Ben Allison--founding members of New York City's Jazz Composers Collective--and Denver native Rudy Royston on drums. The 7:30 p.m. concert features an opening set with SSU's Contemporary Jazz Ensemble, coached by Kasey Knudsen, and the SSU Jazz Orchestra, led by Doug Leibinger.

General admission tickets are $8, and free for SSU students. See https://tickets.sonoma.edu for more information.

Related links:
Jazz Forum
http://www.sonoma.edu/music/concert_calendar/jazzforums_s16.html

Concert
http://www.sonoma.edu/music/concert_calendar/ay2015-16/jazzorch_march9.html

Tickets for this event
https://tickets.sonoma.edu/performingarts/online/seatSelect.asp?BOset::WSmap::seatmap::performance_ids=C13863D7-A71C-47D3-A06E-6F59B1F0E2E4