Johnathan Blake – My Life Matters

Praised by NPR Music as “the ultimate modernist,” Blake is a Philadelphia-born artist known for his collaborations with jazz legends like Pharoah Sanders, Chris Potter, and Maria Schneider. His distinct voice shines in any setting, as noted by DownBeat. As a Blue Note regular, he’s released acclaimed albums like Passage (2023) and Homeward Bound (2021), and contributed to records by Dr. Lonnie Smith and Kenny Barron. His upcoming 2025 album My Life Matters, a suite on justice and activism, was commissioned by the Jazz Gallery. Blake’s quintet, Pentad, blends trust and spontaneity to create honest, richly textured, and expressive music.