CD Reviews

All That Is Tied has received favorable reviews around the globe. Here are some excerpts:
“Except for his mentor Gunther Schuller, he probably has the best ears in town. Dark dissonances, blues, and pop-song melodies create dream narratives on All That Is Tied, song after song, each chord, each move suggesting its own association, its own memory. The songs are all slow-moving, even tempo-less, but his stories are edge-of-your-seat riveting.”
Jon Garelick, Boston Phoenix
“Blake has, with his hands, feet and a piano, made an incredibly dramatic and eclectic album of solo music that ranges in mood from delicate to jarring…the music is wholly unique.”
Ed Symkus, TAB Newspapers
“…even if All That Is Tied had landed on the desk anonymously, without herald and no expectation based on past form, you would know you were in the presence of something magical and important. A truly great record … a masterpiece…”
Brian Morton, The WIRE
“Nobody broods quite like Blake — his moodiness draws you in. Instead of Bernard Herrmann or Stevie Wonder, he reinterprets himself on All That Is Tied.”
Francis Davis, Village Voice
“…the appearance of any new Blake album is always something to write home about, especially when it’s as good as this. His total mastery of the pedals will have any pianist nodding admiringly. It’s a sound that means business — every one of Blake’s notes is there for a reason…Ran Blake hits the bullseye every time.”
Dan Warburton, Paris Transatlantic
“With only a few gestures, he can recount entire traditions: from glances at Gershwin, to frequent winks at Monk, to sad nods toward Gould and Conrad. A collision of this scale has never sounded so lovely — or so lonely.”
Michael Brodeur, Weekly Dig
“His sense of fun is an integral part of his makeup, and he continues to explore it delightfully. Even as he examines freedom, breaking up time and pulse, he goes back to swiftly kiss the melody, though he does linger on occasion. That is part of the magic he dispels.”
Jerry D’Souza, AllAboutJazz.com
“What is extraordinary about this disc is that no one plays quite like Ran Blake, so here we have a treasure chest of Ran’s own songs played in his own completely unique way.”
Bruce Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
Additional Excerpts
Tompkins Square Records