Eric Alexander

[CJ Shearn]

Donny McCaslin is a real good player. I have yet to pick up any of leader dates but he's very strong on the new Antonio Sanchez album. He's a good post Potter player dealing with that specific dialect of music.

[JSngry]

He's a good post Potter player dealing with that specific dialect of music.

I like the way you put that, "dealing with that specific dialect of music". That's pretty smart, imo. It neither minimizes nor exaggerates the intent and/or accomplishment of same. Even if it's not a dialect that I myself make sure I have all the time in the world to listen to, I can still dig that it exists, why it exists, and who is doing what with it.

Thanks for that objectivity of observation, for real.

[clifford_thornton]

I would think - though I'm not sure - that Eskelin and Malaby are a bit older than Eric Alexander.

Ingrid Laubrock is great though in another bag entirely. I am certainly a supporter of Jon Irabagon but I'd also say he's in another bag.

[JETman]

Eskelin, b. 1959

Malaby, b. 1964

McCaslin, b. 1966

Alexander, b. 1968

Potter, b. 1971

So, for the record, McCaslin is NOT a post-Potter player. Potter began recording earlier, probably due in no small part to placing third (tied with Tim Warfield, and behind Josh Redman and Eric Alexander) in the 1991 Monk saxophone competition. Potter and Alexander both began recording leader dates in 1992 for Criss Cross. McCaslin formed a band with Dave Binney (b. 1961) in 1997 called Lan Xang.

For my money, Binney's the wildcard here. Great player who can write a heckuva tune AND play in many settings.

[BillF]

Just googled it. There's actually 3 recordings: Cookin', Wailin', Tenor Time. Rhythm section is David Hazeltine (who is underrated as hell), John Webber, Joe Farnsworth.

Have all three in my collection- great stuff! And can that rhythm section cook!

[Tom 1960]

Just googled it. There's actually 3 recordings: Cookin', Wailin', Tenor Time. Rhythm section is David Hazeltine (who is underrated as hell), John Webber, Joe Farnsworth.

Have all three in my collection- great stuff! And can that rhythm section cook!

All 3 are worth owning although the most recent, Tenor Time may be the weakest of the bunch. Just my thoughts.

Edited March 26, 2013 by Tom 1960

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Eskelin, b. 1959

Malaby, b. 1964

McCaslin, b. 1966

Alexander, b. 1968

Potter, b. 1971

So, for the record, McCaslin is NOT a post-Potter player. Potter began recording earlier, probably due in no small part to placing third (tied with Tim Warfield, and behind Josh Redman and Eric Alexander) in the 1991 Monk saxophone competition. Potter and Alexander both began recording leader dates in 1992 for Criss Cross. McCaslin formed a band with Dave Binney (b. 1961) in 1997 called Lan Xang.

For my money, Binney's the wildcard here. Great player who can write a heckuva tune AND play in many settings.

Just dug out Earland's album 'Unforgettable' which is where I heard Alexander first. That was Dec 1991, so Alexander was 23! I am astounded! The photo on the reverse makes him look about 14!

MG

[fasstrack]

Chris Potter's recording debut, far as I know, was with Red Rodney (c.a. 1990). He may have been as young as 19. It was the one where Bob Beldon updated some bebop charts. I wish Potter played more like he did on that date now. Impressive and mature.

[Steve Reynolds]

btw - I believe both Malaby and Alexander attended William Paterson's jazz/music program.

Malaby specifically went there to shore up his traditional bop/post bop/changes skills so he was capable to do what guys like Potter, Bergonzi, Alexander, etc. focus on - some of whom focus totally on music with very stringent limitations.

Not that being able to play all sorts of traditional settings is any sort of requirement to be a great saxophonists (see Mats Gustaffson/Peter Brotzmann, etc.)

BUT when you do have a musician like Malaby or Eskelin who are well versed in all music jazz, the possibilities for surprising, exciting new music is certainly increased.

I've gotta did up an old fun Drew Gress disc I have that I believe features Binney called Jagged Sky which I remember being very good - I think it's a soul note disc from the late 90's.

sorry for those who might liek their new recordings regurgitated but somehow for me, I think I would shoot myself in the temple before I listen to a recent recording called Cookin' unless Miles was reincarnated - even the titles are throughly unoriginal and uninspiring.

and a series of balld recordings labeled 1, 2, 3 - egads - I know the dude plays a serious tenor saxophone - I had a few of his criss cross dates from the early/mid 90's - but volumes of CD's of him playing ballads??

your own mileage may vary, of course

but give me at least a SHOT at the sound of surprise

[Larry Kart]

Chris Potter's recording debut, far as I know, was with Red Rodney (c.a. 1990). He may have been as young as 19. It was the one where Bob Beldon updated some bebop charts. I wish Potter played more like he did on that date now. Impressive and mature.

Think that was "Red Alert." Nice one.

[CJ Shearn]

He's a good post Potter player dealing with that specific dialect of music.

I like the way you put that, "dealing with that specific dialect of music". That's pretty smart, imo. It neither minimizes nor exaggerates the intent and/or accomplishment of same. Even if it's not a dialect that I myself make sure I have all the time in the world to listen to, I can still dig that it exists, why it exists, and who is doing what with it.

Thanks for that objectivity of observation, for real.

He's a good post Potter player dealing with that specific dialect of music.

I like the way you put that, "dealing with that specific dialect of music". That's pretty smart, imo. It neither minimizes nor exaggerates the intent and/or accomplishment of same. Even if it's not a dialect that I myself make sure I have all the time in the world to listen to, I can still dig that it exists, why it exists, and who is doing what with it.

Thanks for that objectivity of observation, for real.

You are welcome Well, it's true, there is a certain vocabulary there in that kind of music that a certain type of player deals with. Mark Turner to some degree deals with this as well, and his influence is strongly felt on other players. The music on Antonio Sanchez's first couple of albums for example, really deals with that aesthethic which is still, as you like to say part of the New York thing, but there is something different about it. Antonio's new one is more a composition record than a "blowing" one, but that identity is still there. McCaslin, Potter, David Sanchez, etc are perfect for that.

[CJ Shearn]

I might add that "New Life", is one of the greatest tunes Metheny's never written. The record, if I may go off track a bit, really shows Metheny's influence on a big way on Antonio without him doing a lavish imitation of it. A lot of complexity under the accessible melodies with harmonic and rhythm shifts. The influence of Pat is there in the production too, utilizing over dubbing, and other effects to make the sound larger although not quite as dense as Pat's records. That density is something I've always loved about Pat, although it's too much for some.

Edited March 26, 2013 by CJ Shearn

[BillF]

Chris Potter's recording debut, far as I know, was with Red Rodney (c.a. 1990). He may have been as young as 19. It was the one where Bob Beldon updated some bebop charts. I wish Potter played more like he did on that date now. Impressive and mature.

Yes, that album's a winner:

[Steve Reynolds]

fwiw, I saw Potter with Dave Holland's band ~ 1999 main stage at the knit, and along with Billy Kilson, he was the highlight of the performance that night. And it was a GREAT performance by Holland's great band (that included Steve Nelson and Robin Eubanks)

I liked a few of the Potter dates I've bought - there is fine quartet recording on criss cross under Scott Colley's leadership called Subliminal, his own Sundiata on criss cross (early 90's, I think he was under 25 at the time and he sounds very good) is a good recording and Billy Drummond's Dubai 9also on criss cross - really pushing to the edge what criss cross records) is pretty damn great - but NOTHING like my memories of the late 20's something kid ripping it in Holland's band.

of course the ECM production destroyed that band on record - I remember buying Prime Directive waiting to hear Billy Kilson sound like he did live and of course, Manfred destroyed the sound of the band as is usually the case.

so I doubt I buy the new Taborn trio ECM or the new Potter ECM

I'm too upset after hearing the newest Formanek take the bite and snap out of Cleaver's sound and especially almost completely lose Michael's great bass sound.

let alone what he does to Taborn's piano

enough of my tangent....

but I will buy the new Binney disc on criss cross as it has a good band in Taborn, Opsvik and Sorey

maybe criss cross is actually gonna put out some recordings that have a few surprises...

Edited March 26, 2013 by Steve Reynolds

[CJ Shearn]

Dave Binney is awesome! though we know what Sweet Poppa Lou thinks!

[Peter Friedman]

Chris Potter's recording debut, far as I know, was with Red Rodney (c.a. 1990). He may have been as young as 19. It was the one where Bob Beldon updated some bebop charts. I wish Potter played more like he did on that date now. Impressive and mature.

Think that was "Red Alert." Nice one.

I also like that one. It was back in the period when I found Chris Potter's playing to my taste. That is rarely any longer true.

[fasstrack]

Dave Binney is awesome! though we know what Sweet Poppa Lou thinks!

Ha! 'They say he's searching. I think he should search for a saxophone teacher'...

[Dan Gould]

Something interesting has happened this past week during my commute. I'd pulled all of my One For All recordings, discs I hadn't revisited in a long time - in addition to their Criss Cross and Sharp Nine releases, I have several Venus recordings too. Obviously I'm a fan - and I still am. But the reason I am posting is that, on more than one occasion, I actually found myself skipping ahead to the next track in the middle of an Eric Alexander solo.

So my personal evolution, to date, on EA is:

loved his playing, bought anything new by him;

Realized I don't really need any more Eric Alexander recordings;

Found myself moved to skip over his more, uh, up-tempo solos

Suffice it to say I don't expect to be pulling out the EA leader dates to revisit anytime soon.

[Larry Kart]

Interesting. Thanks for your honest report -- and no irony intended.

[Hot Ptah]

Dan, yes, thanks for that honest report. I wonder how often that happens to members here, with a variety of musicians' recordings, and they don't mention it.

[Larry Kart]

Dan, yes, thanks for that honest report. I wonder how often that happens to members here, with a variety of musicians' recordings, and they don't mention it.

I'm sure that there are some players I've gotten a bit worn out on, but mostly for me it's the other way around -- finding out that some players I once tended to dismiss (e.g. a fair number of West Coast guys from the 1950s) now strike me as interesting. One change of opinion of that sort for me was Bob Brookmeyer -- not a West Coast guy. For a long while I thought of his phrasing and time feel as kind of foursquare, even a bit corny (agreeing with a judgment of Andre Hodeir, though I felt that way before I read Hodeir's remarks). Then, so it seemed to me, Brookmeyer himself changed in those respects -- certainly by the time of the double album he did with Jack Wilkins et al. and his "Through a Glass Darkly" -- and hearing that I found myself enjoying a good deal (but not all) of earlier Brookmeyer, too.

[relyles]

Interestingly, I went through a phase when I checked out Alexander a bit. Acknowledged his talent, but after 5 or 6 recordings I did not feel the need to actively pursue any more. Recently I heard him live twice (first in the group co-led with Vincent Herring and the second time in a group lead by Nat Reeves). Again, in a live setting his playing was exciting and impressive for what it was, but doub't I would ever pay for a live concert specifically to hear him. Nothing wrong with his playing, just a few other people I prefer.