Sam Blakeslee Large Group - “Live At Blu Jazz” on Golden Mean Records
I’m so excited for the March 19th, 2022 digital release of my next record Sam Blakeslee Large Group - Live at Blu Jazz on Cincinnati-based jazz record label Golden Mean Records! It will be available on all streaming platforms and I’m really glad to be able to share some “from the vault” recordings with you of a monthly residency I had with the Large Group at Blu Jazz in Akron, OH from 2016-17. Having this opportunity to begin to really hone my skills as an arranger is something that I became increasingly grateful for over the course of the pandemic, since large ensembles became such a high-risk endeavor, and thus not happening. I also grew to love the time-stamp of this music that was made with such long time friends. The four songs on the record all have such strong emotional attachments to events in my life, both good and bad, at that time, and it’s very cathartic to get it out to a wider audience.
I initially released this record exclusively on Bandcamp 2018, but I’m glad to be able to share it into the streaming world. If you’d like to check out the album before the streaming release, and would like to further support the record than what streaming pays to artists, you can purchase/listen in the link below:
"LIVE AT BLU JAZZ" BANDCAMP PAGE
Also! There are several bonus tracks, extended cuts, and unique collaborations on the Bandcamp page that will not be available on streaming.
If you like to pre-save the Golden Mean Records streaming link it can be found below:
"LIVE AT BLU JAZZ" STREAMING PRE-SAVE
To celebrate the release, I’m looking forward to bringing the Sam Blakeslee Large Group to Blu Jazz in Akron, OH to bring everything full circle. We will be performing a few tracks off of the album, as well as the nine new big band pieces that I have been working on since Fall 2019. I can't wait to play with all of these great friends and I'm also looking forward to bringing from NYC one of my favorite improvisers and trumpeters on the planet, David Adewumi! This will be a really special night, I hope you can be a part of it!
"Live at Blu Jazz" Album Release Show!
Featuring special guest from NYC,
award-winning trumpeter David Adewumi
Bobby Selvaggio, Nathan-Paul Davis, Chris Coles, Johnny Cochran, Brad Wagner - woodwinds
Scott McKee, Theresa May, David Adewumi, Jack Schantz - trumpets
Sam Blakeslee, Reggie Watkins, Caleb Smith, Mark Mauldin - trombones
Brandon Coleman - guitar
Ben Tweedt - piano
Matt Wiles - bass
Dustin May - drums
