Search - Eric Alexander :: Straight Up

A Mixed Bag

A Fan | Painted Post, NY United States | 03/13/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"The rating is an average value. Eric gets five stars. He was still quite young when this was recorded but his lines were already flawless, swinging and showing great chops. The trumpeter Jim Rotundi gets three stars. On the slow and medium tempo tunes he is clearly comfortable and executes some swinging passages. On the up temp tunes he is repetitious, not particularly swinging and sometimes almost appears to degrade into valve clicking. The pianist Harold Mabern gets no stars. On every solo he flails away at the piano at the triple forte level. The first part of each solo contains many noted lines at top speed, maximum decibel level and often repetitious. The second part contains pounding chords - not the tasteful and swinging blocked chords of a Red Garland but a clashing, crashing cacophony. Even his accompaniment is obtrusive. Coincidentally, I received John Lewis's "Evolution" the day that "Straight Up" appeared in my mailbox. What a difference in piano players: Lewis showing the economical, tasteful, swinging laconic style for which he is famous - Mabern showing a buckshot style that at best grates. In spite of the negative comments about Mabern and Rotundi I still enjoy listening to the album."