Michael Blake: Jazz Musician in New York

About Michael Blake

Michael Blake is a Canadian-American saxophonist and composer based in New York City, long active in the downtown jazz and free-improvisation circuit. He leads working groups heard at venues including Smalls Jazz Club, The Django, and Bar Bayeux, and he also appears as a sideman with players such as Michael Sarin, Ben Allison, and Gary Versace. His sets often move between written structures and open form, with attention to shifting texture and ensemble function. As a bandleader, he favors alert, probing improvisation over display.