Michael Blake Quartet: Halloween Tales

New York saxophonist Michael Blake stakes out fresh territory in holiday jazz with Halloween Tales, out September 25, 2026.

While the genre has typically belonged to the winter holidays, Blakes new release claims the mystery, humor and cinematic atmosphere of Halloween and the harvest season instead, channeled through inventive arrangements and inspired improvisation. Joined by Gary Versace on piano, Ben Allison on bass and Michael Sarin on drums, Blake leads a classic quartet

lineup as a deliberate choice meant to echo the instrumentation of the holiday jazz records that shaped his own listening.