Jazz drummer Johnathan Blake was born on July 1, 1976, in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The son of jazz violinist John Blake, young Johnathan learned to
play the drums at the age of 10. After graduating from high school, he studied
jazz at William Peterson University and studied under Horacee Arnold, John
Riley, Rufus Reid, and Steve Wilson. He also began his career as a professional
musician, playing with the Oliver Lake Big Band alongside saxophonist David
Sánchez and trumpeter Roy Hargrove. In 2006, Johnathan Blake was the recipient
of the ASCAP Young Composers Award before grad...