For a certain breed of New York jazz fan the alto-saxophonist Wess Anderson is the one that got away. Nearly twice. Mr. Anderson, a Brooklyn native, emerged in the late 1980s as a sideman with Wynton Marsalis, and later a charter member of Mr. Marsaliss efforts at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Fondly known as Warmdaddy, he was on board there until about four years ago, when he joined the jazz faculty at Michigan State University.
So Mr. Anderson was already missed, at least by Jazz at Lincoln Center regulars, when word got around that he had had a stroke in 2007, at 42. The left side of his body was numb, and for a time there were murmurs about whether he would play again. It actually ended up taking just a matter of months. But he didnt find his way to a New York stage until a recent Jazz at Lincoln Center holiday concert. Now hes making his first return as a bandleader, working with a quartet at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola through Sunday night.
So Mr. Anderson was already missed, at least by Jazz at Lincoln Center regulars, when word got around that he had had a stroke in 2007, at 42. The left side of his body was numb, and for a time there were murmurs about whether he would play again. It actually ended up taking just a matter of months. But he didnt find his way to a New York stage until a recent Jazz at Lincoln Center holiday concert. Now hes making his first return as a bandleader, working with a quartet at Dizzys Club Coca-Cola through Sunday night.
