Search - Eric Alexander :: First Milestone

An alumnus of recordings by organists Charles Earland and Jimmy McGriff as well as guitarist Pat Martino, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander brings a smooth, honey-toned sound to bear on The First Milestone. Unlike most saxophonists, who usually bring other players to mind, Alexander recalls romantic vocalists such as Johnny Hartman or Andy Bey. His tone is big, smooth, and eminently listenable, and he's got chops to burn. He's a blues-based swinger with players like Coltrane, Willis Jackson, and Ike Quebec in his lineage, and his own tunes push things further than you might expect. With excellent accompaniment by Martino, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Peter Washington, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, the recording is well balanced between aggressive originals, playful ballads, and fairly standard blowing vehicles. Alexander's own "Stand Pat" and "The First Milestone" draw bracing solos from all involved, as does Mabern's exciting time-twister, "The Phineas Trane." This band even turns oddball fare such as John Williams's "The Towering Inferno" into a swinging Latin cakewalk. Occasionally, lack of rehearsal or real gig time results in missed cues or a kind of business-as-usual feeling, but the killer solos and solid compositions make up for these minor mishaps. --Ken Micallef