With each album under the name of Eric Alexander I am further convinced that the tenor saxophonist is among the short list of premier players of the day. This time, Alexander picks up the soprano sax on a few tunes, notably John Coltrane's “Afro Blue” and “Wise One”. His other choice from the jazz book is the seldom heard Gene Ammons blues “Hittin' The Jug”. And as usual, Alexander offers several well seasoned samples of standard fare. How about “This Is Always”, “Angel Eyes”, “The Lamp Is Low”, and a great rarity from Frank Sinatra's greatest years, “Only The Lonely”. Alexander is always surrounded by the best of the best. This time it's Mike LeDonne, piano; Dennis Carroll, bass; and George Fludas, drums. All are right on target. But it's Eric Alexander's high altitude improvisation which, as always, is something truly amazing and exceptional.
Cellar Music Group; 2024; appx. 46 min.
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