Jazz Articles about Eric Alexander

About Eric Alexander

Interview

One of the few “young lions" who is more influenced by Dexter Gordon and George Coleman than by John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander has come very far with his career in a short period of time. Following his first year of studying classical music at Indiana University as an alto player, Alexander picked up the tenor, made the switch to jazz, and the following year transferred to William Patterson College in New Jersey. In 1991 Alexander ...

159

Album Review

Eric Alexander: The First Milestone

Read "The First Milestone" reviewed by C. Andrew Hovan

by C. Andrew Hovan
July 1, 2000

For all intents and purposes, you might like to think of Eric Alexander as being a modern-day equivalent of Tina Brooks, a very neglected tenor man from the ‘60s who just happened to be around when such mega stars as Johnny Griffin, John Coltrane, and Sonny Rollins also happened to be walking on the planet. Alexander certainly has his own competition to consider, with Joe Lovano and Chris Potter taking a lot of the attention these days in terms of ...

206

Album Review

Jim Rotondi: Excursions

Read "Excursions" reviewed by David A. Orthmann

by David A. Orthmann
July 1, 2000

During the course of Excursions, his third disc as a leader for the Criss Cross imprint, Jim Rotondi continually finds ways of breathing new life into the straight-ahead, three horns and rhythm format. Rotondi has written and chosen a variety of tunes ranging from up and medium tempo swingers (“Angel Eyes,” “Shortcake,” “Little Karin”) to a bossa nova (“Excursions”), to ballads (“Little B’s Poem,” “What Is There To Say”). Further, he writes and utilizes arrangements by the band members that ...

284

Album Review

Eric Alexander: The First Milestone

Read "The First Milestone" reviewed by David A. Orthmann

by David A. Orthmann
June 1, 2000

With the release of The First Milestone, Eric Alexander continues to make the transition from a young, hard-blowing tenor saxophonist to a mature soloist and leader of interesting small bands. Alexander is simply getting better at what he’s been doing quite well all along; that is, making high-energy music largely based on the spectrum of straight-ahead jazz of the 50s and 60s. Throughout the disc, his playing has its characteristic intensity, and his solos sound like complete statements rather than ...

183

Album Review

Eric Alexander: The First Milestone

Read "The First Milestone" reviewed by Mark Corroto

by Mark Corroto
June 1, 2000

Eric Alexander suffers from an ailment we’ll call Joe Lovano disease. Like his one time professor, Alexander so fluidly handles bebop patterns with relative ease that listeners dismiss his talent for casualness. His less-than-showman approach scores high with critics and fellow musicians but discovery by a wide audience requires style that has nothing to do with music. Perhaps we can come up with a nickname, that’s the ticket, a ‘gutbucket’ or ‘Red’ might be all he needs. Kidding aside, each ...

163

Album Review

Eric Alexander: Alexander The Great

by David A. Orthmann
June 1, 2000

Among the numerous projects in which Eric Alexander was involved during the nineteen- nineties (including a dozen records under his own name and approximately three times as many as a sideman) was his ongoing involvement in the soul-jazz band of the late Charles Earland. Alexander’s stint with “The Mighty Burner” was his first major gig after placing second to Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk competition for tenor saxophonists in 1991. For this disc recorded in 1997, Earland assumed the ...

157

Album Review

Eric Alexander: Man With A Horn

by John Sharpe
October 1, 1999

Consider this fact. In 1991, Eric Alexander finished second to Joshua Redman at the Thelonious Monk Institute's saxophone competition. Joshua is now one of jazz's reigning hot-shot young lions while Eric remains a virtual unknown. Who said life is fair? If there is any justice, Man With A Horn should correct this problem. Working hand in hand with veteran jazz pianist Cedar Walton, this collection of standards and originals is loaded with warmth, lyricism and sparkling interplay. Alexander's husky, breathy ...