The Heavy Hitters Live at Jazz Alley

The Heavy Hitters
Jazz Alley
Seattle, Washington
December 12, 2023

At first glance, this gig's title gives the impression of an all-star lineup of established players running through the changes of straight ahead standards in a friendly setting. There was some semblance of that, with the band boasting an assemblage of individual musicians that certainly can be on the road doing their own thing. But aside from a pair of standard ballads, this band took to Seattle's jazz mainstage performing original material from the group's first release as well as new tunes to be recorded live in Vancouver the following weekend. The result was a two-hour set of tight arrangements framing chorus after chorus of stellar solo work from the band's six members, led by pianist Mike LeDonne and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander.

The Tuesday night crowd found an intimate vibe surrounding the evening, with an air of familiarity occupying the room. Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt was visiting Jazz Alley for the second time in four weeks, having appeared with his quintet in November, 2023. Alto giant Vincent Herring, much like drummer Kenny Washington, holds the striking identity of a standard bearer of his instrument. Philadelphia-born double bassist Alexander Claffy continued the talent parade, all synching easily with LeDonne's elegant grasp of harmony and virtuosic solo work. At first note, this seemed like a can't-miss formula. The trepidation, of course, was the ability of the band to play the straight line for two hours and hold the audience throughout the set emotionally. Safe to say that was accomplished .

While The Heavy Hitters is not a repertory performance band dedicated to a set of style-defining tunes, it is dedicated to a sound that embodies the hard bop idiom. The innovative qualities of the band lie within the solo work of each individual improviser, accentuated by an elegant ease whether engaging fast tempos or playing melodically within the confines of a ballad.

A pair of LeDonne tunes got things in motion. The burning homage to Jackie Byard, "JB," and the more tender "You'll Never Know What You Mean to Me," provided the audience with a context of what they could expect over the next two hours. The tunes bore witness to drummer Washington being the hub of what this band promises to be. Alexander's classic tenor voice, Herring's stunning melodic runs and Pelt's absolute command of his instrument stood front and center. Each spoke to innovation within the melody itself, embracing it as tightly or loosely as the moment revealed. LeDonne's hands-off approach to comping and Claffy's fleet, hard-swinging style characterized the playing in and around the intricate rhythmic trappings offered by Washington. On the latter, Herring's double-time-laden solo perfectly balanced Pelt's muted work. Claffy, a last-minute replacement on this tour for Peter Washington, gifted the audience not only with his flawless ensemble playing, but with dynamic soloing as well. His energy and pure sense of swing was a defining force throughout the performance.

LeDonne's "Lord Walton" was yet another homage piece from the pianist, this time to his mentor and friend, Cedar Walton. LeDonne replaced Walton in Milt Jackson's band in the late '80s, and they went on to be great friends. While so much attention had to be directed towards the extremely talented front line, this piece shed light on LeDonne's artistry, tightly woven in the fabric of the giants of jazz piano. His playing was reminiscent of Walton's trio work, with lush harmony filled to the brim with melodic spontaneity. All three horn players stood off to the side of the stage and took it all in, as did the house. It was a reminder that LeDonne could hold his own with any musician, at any point in the history of jazz music. His orchestral knowledge of the music and tradition is remarkable.

LeDonne's interpretation of "The Nearness of You," and "My One and Only Love" served as more than a run-through of two of the most beautiful melodies one could imagine. The two ballads also brought out the romantic side of Alexander's playing, using the entire range of his instrument in constructing colorful melodic images of warmth and melancholy. The two pieces served as a dynamic bridge of sorts, between the mostly hard-swinging originals that occupied the set from start to finish.

Alexander's hard bop thriller "Chain Saw" highlighted the back end of the set. Working off a harmonic and rhythmic underpinning provided by Claffy, Washington and LeDonne's hammer-like left hand, the front line fed off the energy in copious portions. Herring in particular left the room in ashes after burning through his solo. Pelt's purity of tone presented his spontaneous inventions in no uncertain terms. Alexander alluded to faint echoes of the entire tenor tradition in his solo, showing the fire of his playing refined within a Tao-like sense of allowing the melodic waters to flow downhill in free-form fashion.

The never-too-flashy, precision work of Washington coupled with the joyful virtuosity of Claffy was the part of this performance that tends to not necessarily be overlooked, but perhaps, taken for granted. Yet none of this works without a snap-sure connection with the backline. It is the absolute heartbeat of this musical being. It sets the bar high for the soloists to reach for, in this case, highly successfully.

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