Jazz Articles

Alexander McCabe / Paul Odeh: This Is Not A Pipe

by Bruce Lindsay
October 30, 2014

The title is, presumably, a nod to “Ceci, C'est Ne Pas Une Pipe," the phrase which Rene Magritte wrote on his famous painting La Trahison Des Images. The painting wasn't, of course, a pipe, just a painting of a pipe. This Is Not A Pipe isn't a pipe either--it isn't even a painting of a pipe. So what is it? Alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe and pianist Paul Odeh have the answer--it's a recording of eight tunes, three standards and five ...

Alexander McCabe / Paul Odeh: This Is Not A Pipe

by Dan McClenaghan
October 8, 2014

Are we having fun yet? Saxophonist Alexander McCabe and pianist Paul Odeh are, on a rollicking duo outing, This Is Not A Pipe. The frequent collaborators delve into a loose-jointed, roll and tumble examination of some jazz standards and McCabe originals. The word “seamless" is an often used--some would say over-used--as a description of a recorded offering. This Is Not A Pipe is not that. It is about as Un-seamless as can be. It sounds as if two ...

Alexander McCabe: The Round

by Ernest Barteldes
May 20, 2006

Mostly through original tunes, The Round explores diverse music without straying too far from the jazz realm. This is evident from the first track, “Floating, where saxophonist Alexander McCabe goes into a bossa nova-esque direction (the opening notes are immediately reminiscent of Jobim's “Chovendo Na Roseira ), reminding me of how much I loved Getz's incursions into that genre. That is not all the tune has to offer, however--McCabe shows off accomplished improvisational chops, while the other musicians lend subtle ...

Alexander McCabe: The Round

by Michael P. Gladstone
November 3, 2005

You've got to give credit to altoist Alexander McCabe for providing the music on his debut recording at his own pace, which means initially unhurried and lyrical, yet full of ideas. McCabe may be a free blower in clubs, but you'd never know it here.

Originally from Boston, Alexander McCabe worked with two of the more significant jazz big bands of the last few decades--those led by Ray Charles and Arturo O'Farrill--and studied with veteran tenor saxophonist George ...

Alexander McCabe: The Round

by Jerry D'Souza
October 23, 2005

In a career that has spanned two decades, Alexander McCabe has played with Chico O'Farrill, Harold Mabern, and Ray Charles, which should say something about his playing on the alto saxophone. He counts John Coltrane and Charlie Parker among his influences, and their mark is evident in his playing. However, it is quite a different thing to go out and write tunes and record an album. While there is no doubt that McCabe has what it takes to give a ...

Alexander McCabe: The Round

by Dan McClenaghan
October 19, 2005

The Round comes to life on a swaying melody, with the leader's engaging composition “Floating." Alto saxophonist Alexander McCabe's blows in with an Art Pepper-like intensity inside the tune's drifitng ambiance, an atmosphere that he and the band achieve with a seeming ease.McCabe studied with George Coleman, an undersung Miles Davis sideman during the very early sixties--an undersung period in Davis's ever-evolving sound. Altoist McCabe seems to have absorbed some of Coleman's subtle, sneak-up-on-you eloquence, and the master's ...