Farnsworth spent years playing with his heroes. “The Big Room,” a new album due Friday, features a cast of rising stars.

DRUMMER-COMPOSER Johnathan Blake is set to release his powerful new Blue Note album My Life Matters later this year.

Born in Harlem and raised in Brooklyn, McClain grew up tickling the ivories and belting out ballads — performing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and singing with the All-City Schools Choir.