I first met John Blake over 30 years ago when, as a Temple student and DJ at Temple's radio station, John and his group,  Nu Liberation Unit, came to our studios and played live on the air.  The were very accomplished even then, with a Coltrane-inspired spiritual quality to their repertoire.  After purchasing "Motherless Child," it's easy to see that the musicality and spirituality are still there, and John's instrumental skills have both matured and increased exponentially.  The violin, though not Jazz's most popular instrument, has a long history in the music and John is in the first rank of it's virtuoso practitioners.
"Motherless Child" also benefits from the superb contributions of the band and singers; Howard University's "Afro Blue."
Probably not coincidentally, I also have another Gospel-Jazz CD on which John appears, "Awaitng the Spirit," by the Barry Sames jazz Ensemble.  
The most striking thing about this collection is that it's thoroughly JAZZ, and it swings, but the Gospel-based music is always performed with appropriate reverence.   As a Christian, as well as a Jazz fan, I can especially appreciate this.   Jazz fan or Gospel fan or both; this CD belongs in your collection!
Jerry Wells
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