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Eric Alexander & Vincent Herring: The Battle - Live at Smoke
The first track sets the stage for the whole session. "Blues Up And Down is the classic stomping blues showcased by Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt on Boss Tenors (Verve, 1961), but with a few added harmonic curveballs. Since Alexander and Herring play different instruments, the final exchanges between the two demonstrate their ability to feed off, rather than upstage each other. In that sense these two musicians are not engaged in an actual battle, but rather a motivational exercise that puts them both at the top of their game.
They do the same in an easy tempo on Wes Montgomery's "Road Song, with bassist John Webber laying down the structure and Mike LeDonne showcasing piano voicings that some have associated with to McCoy Tyner. "Ritual Dance, a composition by the drummer Carl Allen, lets Eric Alexander draw from his Coltrane influences by double-timing on his solo and even throwing in a quick reference to "Mr P.C." "Shirley's Song provides a relaxing ballad before the group ends the "battle just as it started, with "Eleven Years.
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Track Listing
Blues Up and Down; Road Song; Firm Roots; Ritual Dance; Shirley's Song; Eleven Years.
Personnel
Eric Alexander
saxophone, tenorEric Alexander: tenor saxophone; Vincent Herring: alto saxophone; Mike LeDonne: piano; John Webber: bass; Carl Allen: drums.
Album information
Title: The Battle - Live at Smoke | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: HighNote Records
About Eric Alexander
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