Blackman has recorded several jazz albums as a bandleader and has performed with Pharoah Sanders, Sonny Simmons, Ron Carter, Sam Rivers, Cassandra Wilson, Angela Bofill, Buckethead, Bill Laswell, Lenny Kravitz, Joe Henderson and Joss Stone.

"[4] Soon after, Blackman began playing in the school band and persuaded her parents to get her toy drums.

[3] Blackman began to have an interest in jazz at age 13 after listening to Max Roach and got her first professional drum set at 14.

[7] While she was at Berklee, a friend recommended her for a gig with The Drifters,[5] so Blackman left college after three semesters and moved to New York City in 1982.

[2] In New York City, Blackman worked as a performer[8] but also attended shows to listen to masters play.

From New York, Blackman talked over the phone with Kravitz in Los Angeles, and played drums for him as he listened.

She appeared at the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, where she played drums for husband Carlos's one-off reunion with John McLaughlin, after which she helped mix the sound for the video.

The album includes performances by John McLaughlin, Matthew Garrison, Vernon Reid, Kirk Hammett, Bill Ortiz, and Neal Evans.

[10] On July 9, 2010, Carlos Santana proposed to Blackman on stage during a concert at Tinley Park, Illinois.

[16] Blackman attended a Baptist church during her teenage years, but became a follower of the Baháʼí Faith at the age of 18; she also started studying Kabbalah in the 2000s.

"[17] With Eddie Allen With Bootsy Collins and Fantaazma With Santi Debriano and David Fiuczynski With Melinda Doolittle With Kali Z. Fasteau and William Parker With Russell Gunn With The Isley Brothers and Santana With Rodney Kendrick With Lenny Kravitz With Greg Lewis With Carlos Martins With Wallace Roney With Santana With Carlos Santana and John McLaughlin With Saxemble With Sonny Simmons With Spectrum Road (Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, John Medeski, Blackman Santana) With Mike Stern With Joss Stone With Alicyn Yaffee With various artists