2014-04-02
7:30PM
n/a
"Ran is truly one of the most perplexing sounds that is still around today...It's this thunder crack of sound that explodes from the instrument."
- Jason Moran, pianist
Ran Blake Plays Solo Piano
In a career that spans five decades, pianist Ran Blake has created a unique niche in improvised music as an artist and educator. With a characteristic mix of spontaneous solos, modern classical tonalities, the great American blues and gospel traditions, and themes from classic Film Noir, Blake’s singular sound has earned a dedicated following all over the world. His dual musical legacy includes more than 40 albums on some of the world’s finest jazz labels, as well nearly 40 years as a groundbreaking educator at Boston’s New England Conservatory.
In the tradition of two of Blake’s idols, Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, he has incorporated and synthesized several otherwise divergent styles and influences into a single innovative and cohesive style all his own, ranking him among the geniuses of the genre. The addition of his innovative aural based teaching approach, and the forty years he has spent influencing future generations of musicians, makes his contributions to the long tradition of jazz even more impressive.
A recent Downbeat review said, “Ran Blake is so hip it hurts … a pianist who can make you laugh at his dry humor one second and wring a tear the next.” His music still sounds fresh and unmistakably unique. Fifty-eight years after his innovative release, Ran Blake Plays Solo Piano (ESP-Disk 1011), Ran continues to evolve his noir language on the piano, making him one of most resilient artists in jazz history. Surely a historical event not to be missed, Blake will perform this repertoire from Solo Piano live at the Regatta Bar.
