John Scofield described him as “extraordinary” and “a total saxophonist”, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

New York-based Seamus Blake is regarded as one of the finest contemporary jazz musicians, thanks in part to his taste for sophistication and bold improvisations, which he is known to deliver with a ‘sheer swagger’.

Apart from playing music, Blake is also an accomplished composer, and his 2009 releases Bellwether and Live in Italy were both critically acclaimed, with particular focus on his masterful playing, leadership and fine compositional skills.

Born in England but raised in Canada, Blake was just 21 when, while studying at Berklee College, he was asked to record with legendary drummer Victor Lewis.

He later moved to New York and quickly established himself on the Big Apple’s jazz scene. He later got to perform with Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock after placing first in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition.

Versatile in his musical tastes, Blake has ventured into genres as diverse as funk, grunge and electronica in his quest to create exciting and engaging music, working with a wide range of artists, among them Kurt Rosenwinkel, Bill Stewart and Lage Lund.

He will be performing at the Malta Jazz Festival on July 16 with his new electro-groove project Shanaz, accompanied by Scott Kinsey on keyboards, Tim Lefebvre on electric bass and Brad Mehldau’s drummer Jordi Rossy.

www.maltajazzfestival.org

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