Ralph Lalama Quartet: The Audience (2010)

C. Michael Bailey

Senior Contributor since 1997

...wants to know if Gene Harris is playing "Summertime" in Heaven...

Recent articles (1,709 total)

Published: March 14, 2010

Dexter Gordon Dexter Gordon
1923 - 1990
sax, tenor achieved a post-bebop tenor saxophone sound that was Somewhere between the sleepy, vibrato-less tone of Lester Young Lester Young
1909 - 1959
saxophone and the falling-off- the-edge wail of John Coltrane John Coltrane
1926 - 1967
saxophone . Yonkers native Ralph Lalama comes It is out of this tradition. On his fifth recording as a leader and his first release since 2008's successful Energy Fields (Mighty Quinn), Lalama elbows his way to the center with his virile, muscular tenor tone.

Lalama has been an important sideman in several seminal bands, including a membership in Woody Herman Woody Herman
1913 - 1987
band/orchestra 's 1976 Thundering Herd, a 25-year stint with the [{Village Vanguard Jazz Orchestra}} and Joe Lovano Joe Lovano
b.1952
saxophone 's nonet. This has provided Lalama the exposure necessary To drive his solo efforts, all which are uniformly fine.

Leading a guitar-based quartet, Lalama mixes up his recital with multi-genre crossovers from the old standards ("I'm An Old Cowhand," hats off to Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins
b.1930
saxophone ), the new standards (Stevie Wonder Stevie Wonder
b.1950
keyboard 's "Livin' for the City") and those rising in the mix (Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter
b.1933
saxophone 's "Marie Antoinette" and Duke Pearson Duke Pearson
b.1932
piano 's "Minor League"). Lalama's own compositions flesh out this musical map into a three-dimensional topography characterized by craggy, angular heads and equally circuitous solos from the saxophonist and guitarist John Hart John Hart
b.1961
guitar . The charm of this recording is the stylistic chances Lalama takes without ever making it sound like he's taking chances.

Track Listing: Marie Antoinette; Livin For The City; Love Thy Neighbor; Jonme; Portrait of Jennie; Minor League; Jome; Kiss & Run; Ricme; I'm an Old Cowhand.

Personnel: Ralph Lalama: tenor saxophone; John Hart: guitar; Rick Petrone: bass; Joe Corsello: drums.

Record Label: Mighty Quinn Productions
Style: Straight-ahead/Mainstream