By Terry Perkins

The toughest task for any young musician aspiring to become a professional jazz musician at the highest level of the profession is to establish their own unique musical voice -- especially when they're working within the framework of nearly a century of jazz tradition. For 32-year-old tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, that's a task he continues to work toward with every performance and every recording -- even though he's been performing professionally for more than a decade.

"I hope I'm sounding more and more like myself and less and less like other people, while at the same time coming out of the tradition I love," says Alexander, commenting on his latest recording as a leader, First Milestone. "I'm trying to get my own voice and modify my own vocabulary with each recording, and I hope people can hear that."

For Alexander, who was born in Galesburg, Illinois but spent most of his childhood in Olympia, Washington, attempting to find the balance between jazz tradition and musical individuality has been a labor of love. Although he didn't begin playing alto saxophone until he was 12, and didn't switch to tenor sax until his freshman year at Indiana University, Alexander's musical roots go back to his first piano lessons at the age of six.

I switched to clarinet when I was nine," recalls Alexander, "and I had friends who played saxophone, so it seemed like the direction to go. I was really introduced to jazz by my high school band teacher, Wayne Timmerman. But it wasn't like I was to the point where I'd come home and put on album sides and check people out. When I went away to college at Indiana University was the point where jazz became my focus. By the end of my first year there I was so taken with the whole jazz thing that I knew all I wanted to do was to be a professional musician."

Alexander's extensive musical background had helped him develop fine technique, making the switch from alto sax to the tenor fairly easy. But jazz opportunities in Bloomington were limited, prompting him to transfer to William Paterson University in New Jersey after his freshman year at Indiana. Located in Wayne -- just 20 miles from New York City, William Paterson provided easy access to the extensive New York jazz scene -- as well as a talented faculty that included fine professional jazz musicians such as Harold Mabern. "Harold was my jazz combo instructor during my first year there," says Alexander, "and I had classes with him almost every year until I graduated. He's a great musician, and from the time I was able to get a gig, I tried to get him to play with me."

It was also at William Paterson that Alexander met drummer Joe Farnsworth. Like Alexander, Farnsworth was a fan of the up tempo hard bop tradition. Within a year, the two musicians were playing together frequently -- and headed to the school's practice rooms on almost a daily basis to work through high speed sessions.

"Joe and I used to go into the practice room and play as fast as humanly possible for 20 minutes or so," recalls Alexander. "But we weren't just goofing off -- playing fast just for the sake of playing fast. We were trying to play tunes and changes. Then we would go into the City and try to sit in on gigs and play wherever they would let us play."

Alexander and Farnsworth both graduated from William Paterson in 1990, and their paths diverged for a time. While Farnsworth began to play at a New York club called Augie's, working with sax player Jesse Davis and eventually inheriting the weekend gigs at the nightspot, Alexander headed to Chicago to hone his skills. It wasn't long before he found himself as a member of organ player Charles Earland's band -- a job that would last for several years.

Greg Williams, who was the drummer for Charles, heard me warming up at a local jazz festival, and came up and told me he thought I would sound good playing with Charles," explains Alexander. "It turned out Charles was getting ready to form a new band, and based on his drummer's recommendation, Charles called me up, I went over to his house, and after playing for him, he hired me on the spot."

In addition to making his recording debut on Earland's 1991 release, Unforgettable, the experience of playing with the master Hammond B-3 organist was a key part of Alexander's musical apprenticeship.

"Working with Charles, in addition to being my primary bread-and-butter gig, was the biggest influence in helping my to develop musically," states Alexander. "That's where I learned to get on the bandstand and hit it hard right from the start."

Alexander was also making a name for himself on the national level in other areas as well. At the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition in 1991, he came in second to Joshua Redman, earning strong critical acclaim for his talent. That success prompted a move back to New York City, where Alexander soon hooked up with his friend Farnsworth at Augie's. He found himself performing at the clubs with a mix of younger players as well as legends such as baritone sax player Cecil Payne.

"I really have to give a lot of credit to Joe for having the guts to call up those great older guys and ask them to play with us," says Alexander. "We were still a little green, still getting our feet wet in terms of bring polished musicians, but playing with guys like Cecil was a great experience. For example, you're always learning a lesson from playing with Cecil or even just hearing him tell a story, and you might not even realize it at the time. Maybe a month later it sinks in and then it makes sense. It's an invaluable experience."

Alexander has an incredibly busy schedule these days, playing concerts in Japan, Spain, Israel and Denmark in between recording dates, his performances with Bebop Generations and his work as co-founder of the sextet, All For One, which also includes Farnsworth. But as he says, "Hey it's better to be working. As they say, if you're not appearing, you're disappearing."

But despite his hectic agenda, Alexander is determined to keep Bebop Generations going as an on-going project.

"We try to work together as much as possible," he explains. "Sometimes it's tough, especially working around everyone's schedule and also trying to line up jobs for a tour. But the band has been playing quite a bit lately, and I think we're really sounding tight, And Cecil has written a bunch of new music for the band. We're definitely ready to go for this tour."