The second jazz house concert to be presented this month by Frank Hanny will be a trio led by saxophonist and composer Dan Blake. He calls his combo “Dan Blake and The Digging.” The other members of the trio are Justin Purtill on bass and drummer Jason Lewis. “The Digging” does not refer to those players or to the entire group. Rather, it is the title of Blake’s trio album, which was released on Sunnyside Records in May of 2016.
Saxophonist Dan Blake performing with Dmitry Ishenko, his bass player for his Da Fé album (from the YouTube Web page of this performance)
It is worth nothing that this album has a Web page on the bandcamp Web site. It is available in both physical and digital formats. Unlike its Amazon.com Web page, the bandcamp page provides a rich set of highly informative program notes. It also has a discography Web page for Blake, which includes his most recent album, Da Fé, which was released during the pandemic in March of 2021. By way of a “tasting,” here is the paragraph that provides background for “The Digging:”
On his new recording The Digging, Blake looks at his music from a different angle, accepting the test of leading and composing for a chordless sax trio, thus stripping away harmonic layers that he has leaned on in earlier projects. The new formula allows Blake to find his voice through the freeing potential of exploring the compositions in such an open and interactive setting. The title of The Digging refers to not only to the jazz nomenclature of liking something but the actual work of searching and getting beneath the surface, in this case to create a sound that is personal and believable.
As seems to be the usual case, the performance will begin at 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 23. As usual, those planning to attend should think about having cash for a donation. All of that money will go to the musicians. There will be two sets separated by a potluck break. As a result, all who plan to attend are encouraged to bring food and/or drink to share. Seating is first come, first served; and the doors will open at 3:30 p.m. Reservations are preferred by sending electronic mail to jazz@chezhanny.com. Masks are optional, but attendees should be vaccinated. Vaccination will be based on the honor system. Finally, volunteer efforts for cleaning up after the show and moving furniture to accommodate both players and listeners are always appreciated.
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