Ron Blake

Ron Blake (born September 7, 1965) is an American saxophonist, band leader, composer, and music educator. He began studying guitar at 8 and turned to the saxophone at 10. Blake taught at the University of South Florida before moving to New York City, where he spent five years in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's quintet and seven years in flugelhornist Art Farmer's group. He co-founded the 21st Century Band and the Tahmun record label with Dion Parson in 1998. Blake is a member of NBC's Saturday Night Live Band and the Grammy award-winning Christian McBride Big Band. He is currently a professor of Jazz Studies at The Juilliard School and has more than sixty credits on his discography as a sideman.