{"id":11104,"date":"2025-08-06T23:14:01","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:14:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/?p=11104"},"modified":"2025-08-06T23:14:01","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T04:14:01","slug":"scratch-band-ron-blake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/scratch-band-ron-blake\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Ron Blake\u2019s \u2018SCRATCH Band\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>For a musician who excels in both big bands and combo settings, large and small, sometimes it\u2019s refreshing to take a \u2018less is more&#8217; approach. Such is the case with Ron Blake. With <em>SCRATCH Band<\/em> (7t\u0113n33, 2025), the veteran saxophonist, composer, and educator forms a trio with fellow Virgin Island native Reuben Rogers on bass and the veteran John Hadfield on drums. Blake is a well-rounded saxophonist who plays mostly baritone here, but also soprano and his renowned tenor on select tracks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_9APFfxP3ytM\"><div id=\"lyte_9APFfxP3ytM\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9APFfxP3ytM\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/9APFfxP3ytM\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9APFfxP3ytM\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As detailed in the album\u2019s liner notes, <em>SCRATCH band<\/em> references a tradition of folk music performed by storytellers and groove makers where Blake grew up in St. Thomas, the same island immortalized by Sonny Rollins. The music on the album is not drawn from or reflective of the music of scratch bands, called quelbe, but rather inspired by such group&#8217;s \u2019simple and engaging approach.\u2019 Put another way, the trio is driven by \u2018simplicity and soul.\u201d In fact, Blake composed less than half of the album\u2019s nine pieces. Five are covers, including the Black National Anthem, a jazz standard, and one from Blake\u2019s former bandleader, Roy Hargrove.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Opener, \u201cBassman,\u201d aptly features Rogers on a long bass intro. We hear Rogers and Hadfield\u2019s delicate taps of the snares for a full fifty seconds before Blake blows danceable rhythms on his baritone. The tune, initially a 1970s mega hit for legendary calypso artist Shadow, sets a lively, engaging tone for the album.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_KTML_QSnbM4\"><div id=\"lyte_KTML_QSnbM4\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/KTML_QSnbM4\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/KTML_QSnbM4\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/KTML_QSnbM4\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While countless tenorists have played the classic \u201cBody and Soul,\u201d Blake gives the tune a new sheen with his relaxed duet rendering on baritone and Rogers on counterpoint. Blake conveys the same deep emotion as any of the great tenors who have played it, Coleman Hawkins included. The duo displays the opposite, an all-out energetic take, on Roy Hargrove\u2019s \u201cAnother Level.\u201d The piece launches from ballad mode into fierce improvisation, as each takes lengthy turns. The duo also renders \u201cGrace Ann\u201d from Blake\u2019s former album, <em>Mistaken Identity<\/em> (7t\u0113n33, 2023), again with Blake on baritone in a tender, heartfelt tribute to his wife.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another oft-covered song, \u201cLift Every Voice and Sing,\u201d serves as a feature mostly for the inventive Rogers and the skittering Hadfield. The former has had many opportunities to play this piece, as it is often a staple in Charles Lloyd\u2019s sets. After a full three minutes of bass and drum trading lines, Blake enters on tenor. His approach is a deeply poignant take, with the tune recorded not long after the George Floyd tragedy. Blake\u2019s tenor also graces \u201cSong for Maya,\u201d written for his eldest daughter and, like \u201cGrace Ann,\u201d delivered in \u00be time. As you listen, the approach to both the baritone and tenor is very similar, amplifying the great emotion he coaxes from the baritone, which is used mostly as a rhythm or low harmony instrument. Also note Rogers\u2019 lyrical bass solo on this one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"lyte-wrapper fourthree\" style=\"width:420px;max-width:100%;margin:5px;\"><div class=\"lyMe\" id=\"WYL_VMh1dPy3jMs\"><div id=\"lyte_VMh1dPy3jMs\" data-src=\"\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VMh1dPy3jMs\/hqdefault.jpg\" class=\"pL\"><div class=\"tC\"><div class=\"tT\"><\/div><\/div><div class=\"play\"><\/div><div class=\"ctrl\"><div class=\"Lctrl\"><\/div><div class=\"Rctrl\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><noscript><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/VMh1dPy3jMs\" rel=\"nofollow\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/VMh1dPy3jMs\/0.jpg?resize=420%2C295&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"YouTube video thumbnail\" width=\"420\" height=\"295\" \/><br \/>Watch this video on YouTube<\/a><\/noscript><\/div><\/div><div class=\"lL\" style=\"max-width:100%;width:420px;margin:5px;\"><\/div><figcaption><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two head bobbers here are the opener and the Caribbean flavored, funky \u201cAppointment,\u201d with the latter delivered both on baritone and soprano. Yet, Blake reverts to baritone for what begins as a Cuban sensuous ballad, \u201cLa Conga de Juana,\u201d that later morphs into infectious, danceable grooves.&nbsp; It may have been a great closer in terms of bookending the album. But Blake instead favors the ballad route with the slow-burning and deceptively tricky rhythms of \u201cApril\u2019s Fool,\u201d yet another remarkable example of his robust tone on the baritone and the telepathic support of his trio mates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The concept of <em>SCRATCH Band<\/em> may be ostensibly simple, but there are plenty of rich melodies and toe-tapping rhythms to delve into.&nbsp; We all know that the iconic Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams made the baritone the principal melody instrument in their bands. Yet, we haven\u2019t heard many standout examples since. Ron Blake just changed that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>\u2018SCRATCH Band\u2019 will be released on August 8, 2025.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For a musician who excels in both big bands and combo settings, large and small, sometimes it\u2019s refreshing to take a \u2018less is more&#8217; approach. Such is the case with Ron Blake. With SCRATCH Band (7t\u0113n33, 2025), the veteran saxophonist, composer, and educator forms a trio with fellow Virgin Island native Reuben Rogers on bass [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":59,"featured_media":11103,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":238,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11104","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/img_0569.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/peRkRR-2T6","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2783,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/newport-2021-lineup-selections\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":0},"title":"Five Genre-Defying Selections from the Newport Jazz Festival\u2019s 2021 Lineup","author":"Rob Shepherd","date":"June 9, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"After a year canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic Newport Jazz Festival has announced it will be presenting the 2021 Festival at its home for the past four decades, Fort Adams State Park. To ensure safety, however, it will be scaled back from its usual scope. Four stages will\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Lists&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Lists","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/lists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/newportjazzpresents750.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/newportjazzpresents750.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/newportjazzpresents750.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/newportjazzpresents750.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11485,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-domo-branch-hand-of-gifts\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":1},"title":"Review: Domo Branch\u2019s \u2018Hands of Gifts\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"October 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The gratitude of drummer-composer Domo Branch, an in-demand rising star of contemporary jazz, is evident in many ways as on Hand of Gifts (Albina Music Trust, 2025). Artists often honor tradition, as Branch does here, while going beyond simply honoring his mentors.\u00a0 Albina Music Trust, a new label to most,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_2328-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_2328-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_2328-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_2328-1.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1723,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-cat-torens-human-kinds-scintillating-beauty\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":2},"title":"Review: Cat Toren&#8217;s Human Kind&#8217;s &#8216;Scintillating Beauty&#8217;","author":"Brian Kiwanuka","date":"September 30, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"With a first track as striking as \"Radiance In Veils\", one immediately gets the sense that Cat Toren's Human Kind's Scintillating Beauty (Panoramic Recordings, 2020) is an album that will live up to its name. The tune is an epic Cat Toren original that moves from serenity to overwhelming force\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DSC05803-1.jpg?fit=749%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DSC05803-1.jpg?fit=749%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DSC05803-1.jpg?fit=749%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/DSC05803-1.jpg?fit=749%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1213,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/thumbscrew-braxton\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":3},"title":"Review: Thumbscrew&#8217;s &#8216;The Anthony Braxton Project&#8217;","author":"Brian Kiwanuka","date":"July 20, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"It would be hard to find a trio better equipped to tackle an entire album of saxophonist Anthony Braxton's compositions than Thumbscrew. Braxton is an accomplished veteran of the avant-garde, free improvisation, and everything in between. Mary Halvorson (guitar), Tomas Fujiwara (drums, vibraphone), and Michael Formanek (bass) do not approach\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/thumbscrew.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/thumbscrew.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/thumbscrew.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/thumbscrew.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/thumbscrew.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11528,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/review-chad-taylor-smoke-shifter\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":4},"title":"Review: Chad Taylor\u2019s \u2018Smoke Shifter\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"November 6, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Drummer\u00a0Chad Taylor\u00a0is perhaps best known for his work as a sideman for the likes of James Brandon Lewis, Marc\u00a0Ribot, Luke Stewart, jaimie branch, and many others, but his latest,\u00a0Smoke Shifter (Otherly Love), is his sixth album as a\u00a0leader. Those aforementioned names suggest an edgy, \u2019out\u2019 approach. Instead, with Smoke Shifter,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img_2468.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img_2468.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img_2468.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/img_2468.jpg?fit=750%2C500&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":11401,"url":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/itai-doshin-mike-clark-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":11104,"position":5},"title":"Review: Mike Clark\u2019s \u2018Itai Doshin\u2019","author":"Jim Hynes","date":"October 2, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"The title of Mike Clark\u2019s latest record, Itai Doshin (Wide Hive, 2025) comes from the drummer\u2019s Buddhist beliefs, a worldview shared with his onetime bandleader, Herbie Hancock. The title translates into the saying of\u00a0 \u201cmany in body, one in mind.\u201d That\u2019s the equivalent in musical speak of \u2018in the pocket.\u201d\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Album Reviews&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Album Reviews","link":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/category\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_1861.jpg?fit=846%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_1861.jpg?fit=846%2C564&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_1861.jpg?fit=846%2C564&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/img_1861.jpg?fit=846%2C564&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/59"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11104"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11105,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11104\/revisions\/11105"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11104"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11104"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/postgenre.org\/staging\/4567\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11104"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}