The origins of Ron Blake’s tradition-honed eclecticism can be traced back to the Virgin Islands where he was born and raised. The saxophonist and composer recently completed his 20th season with NBC’s Saturday Night Live Band. He has released five recordings as a leader on the Mack Avenue label and his self-released debut, Up Front and Personal. His most recent release, Mistaken Identity, on 7tn33 Productions (2023), was his first in 15 years. He is the recipient of three Grammy® awards with the Christian McBride Big Band and four Emmy® Awards with the SNL Band. Blake has appeared on over 60 recordings as a guest or sideman with leading artists, including Roy Hargrove; Art Farmer, Christian McBride, Meshell Ndgeocello, Joey DeFrancesco, and Yerba Buena. He is on faculty at the Juilliard School. More recently, Blake composed soundtracks and sound design for A Bedtime Project podcast, streaming on all major platforms. Blake’s new release Ron Blake Scratch Band (released in August 2025, on 7tn33 Productions) features Reuben Rogers on bass and John Hadfield on percussion. It reflects upon his childhood memories of music performed by local bands, often called scratch bands in the Virgin Islands, for its inspiration.

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