Eric Alexander
is a high-powered tenor saxophonist whose style falls between hard bop and post-bop. On this set he splits his time between quartet numbers -- with pianist
David Hazeltine
, bassist
John Webber
, and drummer
Joe Farnsworth
-- and quintet pieces that co-star baritonist
Cecil Payne
. Unfortunately,
Payne
(74 at the time) sounds past his prime, displaying a weaker tone than he had previously although he tries his best during his three appearances (two
originals plus
"I Can't Get Started"
).
Alexander
(who brought in three originals of his own) sounds fine throughout and he helps to revitalize the straight-ahead tradition with his passionate playing. ~ Scott Yanow