And now with the release of The First Milestone, while Eric Alexander's instrumental talent is clearly on the ascent, where he really steps up in class is as a leader. Not only does he prove himself capable of galvanizing youthful virtuosos (bassist Peter Washington, drummer Joe Farnsworth) and their heraldic precursors (guitarist Pat Martino and pianist Harold Mabern) into a combustible, colorful ensemble, but he demonstrates the wisdom to incorporate their ideas into a coherent, unified vision of jazz traditions, tried and true.

"I think The First Milestone is a good representation of what I'm trying to do," Alexander comments, "and 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. I'm trying to get my own voice and modify my vocabulary with each recording, and I hope people can hear that."

And while the youthful Alexander projects the kind of mature mastery which suggests that he just kind of rolled over in the cradle and began blowing choruses, the reality is much more mundane. Born on August 4, 1968, Alexander grew up in Olympia, Washington, where Alexander's father co-founded the innovative liberal arts school, Evergreen State College. Alexander started on the piano when he was six, took up clarinet at nine, and inspired by his friends, switched to alto saxophone at twelve. "We had a standard band program, a good jazz ensemble, and a good teacher, Wayne Timmerman, who really nurtured me and introduced me to jazz," Eric explains, although in retrospect he realizes now that "I didn't have a comprehensive awareness of jazz history or great jazz musicians or even great jazz music. I had a lot of technique when I got to music school, because I'd studied classical saxophone, and I was quite good at it. But as you know, proficiency at playing written music doesn't necessarily equate to having an acute aural awareness."

It was during a a year of studies at the University of Indiana in Bloomington that Alexander began to play the tenor saxophone and get religion about jazz. "By the end of my first year I was so taken by the whole jazz thing that I knew all I wanted was to be a professional musician. I wanted to get a whole lot closer to New York, so transferred to William Paterson College in Wayne, New Jersey. Once I arrived, I was so eager that I soaked up everything that was going on, and worked particularly hard on my own doing what young musicians do--studying recordings, mimicking great players, and expanding my vocabulary."

Among his most influential teachers were the tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and the great Memphis pianist, Harold Mabern, who began as his mentor and ended up as a dedicated collaborator. After graduating in 1987, Alexander moved to Chicago ". . . to practice and hide out with Mom for a couple of years before heading back to New York and trying to make a go of it." His earliest gigs found him in the company of Hammond organ players. "That was really exciting, because I loved all those classic records Sonny Stitt and Gene Ammons made with great organ players like Don Patterson, Groove Holmes, and Jack McDuff. Playing those kinds of gigs, in those kinds of rooms, I got a very comprehensive education in a very short period of time.

Eventually the late organist Charles Earland took the young tenor saxophonist out on the road and helped launch his recording career, when Alexander made his debut on Earland's 1991 Muse release, Unforgettable. "There's no musician on any instrument who ever had a better groove than Charles Earland," Eric recalls fondly. "We'd get in his van and drive somewhere for the weekend, and drive right back after the gig--it didn't matter how far it was. Charles was so tough, he didn't care. You see, he didn't like to fly. Just put the organ in the van and off we'd go. We drove from Chicago to Boston and back for one gig," he laughs.

In the summer of 1991, Alexander gained a significant degree of critical notoriety and acceptance when he placed second to Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. Moving to New York in the spring of 1992, Alexander made the first of many albums with pianist Mabern for the Chicago Delmark label, his debut as a leader, Straight Up. Alexander worked a variety of day jobs, taught music, and bounced back and forth between the Big Apple and the Windy City while establishing himself on the scene with seasoned veterans such as pianist Kenny Barron and baritone saxophonist Cecil Payne, all the while nurturing the musical identity of his cooperative group, One For All (which included Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Washington, and Dave Hazeltine).

As Alexander's reputation grew, he completed three more recordings for Delmark: Up, Over & Out (1993), Stablemates (1995) and Mode for Mabes (1997). During that time he also recorded for the Danish CrissCross label: New York Calling (1992), Full Range (1994), Eric Alexander in Europe (1995), and Two of a Kind (1996) with Cecil Payne. And a series of recordings he led for the Alfa Records label of Japan became the musical precursors to The First Milestone, including 1997's Man with a Horn (which was licensed by Milestone Records), as well as Heavy Hitters, Extra Innings, and Live!. Among the best of his cooperative efforts were Solid! (1998) with George Mraz, John Hicks, and Idris Muhammad for Milestone, and One For All's Optimism (on the Sharp 9 label). And Eric continued to work as a sideman, garnering positive notices in 1998 on Freddy Cole's Fantasy hit, Love Makes the Changes, and as a member of guitarist Pat Martino's Joyous Lake band, with whom he recorded Stone Blue (Blue Note).

All of those experiences, bitter and sweet, the experiences of youth and manhood, are distilled throughout the eight selections on The First Milestone. Yet for all his protean command as a tenor soloist, what makes The First Milestone so satisfying is the level of togetherness Alexander inspires in his collaborators--they're not simply sidemen, but teammates. In deferring to their judgment, Alexander allows them to help shape the collective vibe, which is what gives The First Milestone its graceful sense of swinging authority, and why this is likely just the first of many milestones for this gifted young tenor man.

"Whenever I see that Harold has an idea, I sort of nudge him until he takes the ball and becomes a quarterback for a few minutes and teaches everyone something entirely new. It's the same way with most great musicians--all you really have to do is be aware and notice their little seeds and help them to grow, and you end up getting a significant contribution from them. When Pat has an idea or suggestion, I like to give him the floor. He ended up changing one of the tunes in the middle of the session. I think it's important to let people have their say, because usually when a musician of that stature feels strongly about something, it's worth listening to."