The Penn State Jazz Club will host a jazz concert at 8 tonight in HUB Alumni Hall featuring renowned violin player John Blake, Jr.
Blake, who will be playing mostly original pieces, has performed in many settings and ensembles, including the bands of recent Schwab Auditorium performer McCoy Tyner and Grover Washington, Jr. -- both of whom he said have had an effect on his music.
"My music is very lyrical," he said. "You might walk away singing some of my songs, but at the same time there is a great emphasis on rhythm so people can groove to it."
His musical influences include commercial, modern and contemporary styles, which makes it accessible and identifiable, Blake added.
His many influences help him create a distinct style and expressive voice for his instrument, Blake said, citing jazz violinists Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty and piano players McCoy Tyner, Oscar Peterson and Herbie Hancock.
"I first heard Ray Nance while I was studying classical and it turned my perception of the instrument on its head and made me realize you could use it for improvisation," Blake said.
Tonight's event -- sponsored by the University Park Allocation Committee, Equal Opportunity Planning Committee, The Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the College of Art and Architecture and the School of Music -- is part of a week-long series featuring lectures and workshops by Blake.
It all culminates with tonight's concert, Penn State Jazz Club adviser Chris Byrne said.
"The concert will be set up like a real jazz club so students can sit at a table or stand in the back and just relax and enjoy themselves," Byrne said. "We want students to be able to go to jazz clubs in a city or something and say to themselves, 'This is what I discovered at Penn State.' "
Blake's lectures this week have focused on topics such as the history of jazz violin and fiddle playing on American plantations, Byrne said.
"The aim of the series is to bring together different art and cultures from around the world to create a global community through music and improvisation," said Ronnie Burrage, who played with Blake.
Burrage, who teaches INART 297E (Worlds Closer), said Blake will also be speaking in his class today at 4:15 p.m. in 8 Mueller Laboratory, and it is open to all students.
"It is going to be an open format interactive class about music and multiculturalism," Blake said. "There will be discussion on the influences of other cultures and styles on jazz and also how musicians can shape their style and find their own voice."
The Penn State Jazz Club is excited by the opportunity Blake's concert presents to members, Byrne added.
"The jazz scene today is often more geared toward recreating the styles of the past than it is on innovation," Byrne said. "The jazz club tries to bring amazing artists to Penn State that we believe push the genre, but that at the same time people will respond to."
