Ahmad Alaadeen: Time Through The Ages

Duke Pearson’s "Jeannine" is presented as a sextet arrangement with both trumpet and flugelhorn playing counterpoint to Alaadeen’s tenor lines. The familiar tune is performed with quirky dissonant harmonies and unusual brawny soloing. The combination of straight-ahead mainstream material and off-center methods applies to the session in general. Over half the pieces are Alaadeen’s compositions, which reflect a broad range of jazz’s history. Musical nods to Count Basie, Miles Davis, and even Lester Bowie fill the session with interesting aspects from start to finish. "When Love Has" is a ballad feature for soprano sax, while "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" is reserved for solo tenor saxophone. Alaadeen seems quite comfortable with both instruments, but his tenor work is considerably more robust and free blowing.

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