Named “a genius on the guitar” by the Los Angeles Times, “a guitar player’s guitarist” by Critical Blast, and “amazingly talented” by Dave Koz, Southern California-based guitarist Blake Aaron launched his career as an L.A. studio musician and sideman. He has recorded and performed with artists such as Carlos Santana, Bobby Womack, Philip Bailey, Sheila E., The Gap Band, Keiko Matsui, Warren Hill, and many others. “People know me best these days as a contemporary jazz artist, but I’ve played in many different bands performing rock, funk, R&B, and straight-ahead jazz. So I’ve never been able to focus on just one style. Many artists like to concentrate on one trademark sound, but I need different modes of expression because that’s truly who I am. It keeps the albums fresh and allows for more spontaneity onstage,” says Aaron, who also loves working with different guitars in live performances. His favorites include the D’Angelico hollow body, the Fender Stratocaster, and the Cordoba nylon-string guitar. In the fall of 2021, Blake also became a music professor at the prestigious Cal Baptist University.