Eric Allison: After Hours

Douglas Payne

Contributor since 1999

Doug has produced CDs for such artists as Peter Thomas, Lalo Schifrin, Ennio Morricone and Cal Tjader.

Recent articles (260 total)

Published: March 1, 1998

for using someone else's sound, David (Newman) and Hank (Crawford) would be billionaires." If so, reed man Eric Allison would be paying dues. He'd also be paying the estates of Gene Ammons, Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and King Curtis too. Does that leave After Hours without merit? Probably not. Allison sounds fine and his program is a well-played mix of jazz that swings with blues, gospel and juke-joint groove. Like fellow South Florida residents Jesse Jones, Turk Mauro (who both appear here) and Terry Myers, Allison can hardly irritate with originality. It's actually fun to guess the origins of the sounds he's making or name the tunes he's riffing on. Mostly he sticks to tenor, but he's also heard on alto, flute and clarinet.

His all "originals" program relies on the familiar too. There's a bit of "Parker's Mood" in the appropriately titled "After Hours, a lot of "The Sidewinder" on "Double Shot" and "'Round About Dawn" (featuring pianist Lonnie Smith's only appearance on organ) is a sort of cross between "Round Midnight" and "You Don't Know What Love Is." Smith certainly stands out on piano and the rest of the crew supports Allison nicely. But, perhaps appropriately, After Hours is like those old jam-sessions its executive producer, Bob Weinstock, used to supervise in the fifties: rafter shaking and entertaining, but no tremors after dawn.

Tracks:Midnight Groove; After Hours; Double Shot; 'Round About Dawn; Sittin' In; No Cover; Tip-Toein'; Straight Up; Deanna; Delta Joy.

Personnel: Eric Allison: tenor sax, alto sax, flute, clarinet, tambourine; John Bailey: trumpet; Jesse Jones Jr: alt sax; Turk Mauro: baritone sax; Dr. Lonnie Smith: piano, organ; Danny Burger: drums.

Record Label: Contemporary
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream