Blake left New Orleans with his acoustic guitar 23 years ago to answer the calling of Brazilian samba and bossa nova that had fascinated him for years. These two musical worlds - one the birthplace of jazz and blues and the other a rhythmic melting pot against a backdrop of sunny beaches, can be heard in the syncopated strum of his guitar. What these two worlds have in common is soul and alchemy: experimenting with what already exists to constantly create something new; a skill Blake embodies today in his eclectic sound and playful approach to live performance. The result is a refreshing post-modern take on world music that fuses samba, funk/rock, reggae and soul. A warm and believable voice make it memorable.

After Brazil, Blake kept moving – he worked in Thailand for 10 months in the clubs of Bangkok; as a multi-media performance artist he later received a Brazil Fulbright Fellowship which put in him Salvador, Bahia for another year. Upon his return to the states he decided to settle down in Brooklyn – thus beginning a perpetual back and forth between N.Y. and N.O. Before leaving New Orleans in 2002 he enjoyed his biggest hometown following ever with his lounge/dance crossover band Saudade.

At every stop along his route he had absorbed a cultural or musical influence and these techniques and linguistics meshed together in his playing and songwriting, forming something new and distinctive. Having experienced so many walks of life and felt a sense of unity among them has given his music a natural, universal appeal

Each song on his new album The Manifesto is a fable starring a spectrum of characters that range from lovers and traveling companions to superheroes and even the city of New York itself. But in every bar you hear, the message is of the utmost importance. The message is the sound of an ongoing journey - of tales lived and heard, layered together with a love of soul and a skill for musical fusion.