Eric Alexander & Mike LeDonne: Together

Eric Alexander and Mike LeDonne have been together many times—on recordings, in clubs, at concerts and elsewhere— but never quite as intimately so as on this splendid album, even though they are heard Together on only four of the album's nine tracks- -LeDonne maps a solo course on three others, Alexander on two (moving to soprano sax on "Autumn in New York").

Either way, they are delightful to hear and appreciate, and the need for a full rhythm section is never an issue. If there is a downside, it is that the session leans heavily toward lovely yet gossamer ballads, with only the sunny opener, "For Mabes" (a nod to the late pianist, colleague and friend Harold Mabern) flowing at more than a temperate pace. Besides "Autumn in New York," Alexander flies solo on his melodious finale, "Two in One," while LeDonne goes it alone on Thelonious Monk's "'Round Midnight" and his own compositions, "Lost But Not Forgotten" and "Mary."

After "Mabes," the duo is together on the standards "I'm in the Mood for Love," "The Nearness of You" and a second Alexander theme, "Mutation." While Alexander is perhaps best known as an old-school swinger whose lineage can be traced to the early bop era, his mastery of the ballad idiom is no less impressive, and he makes every number on which he appears sparkle and shine. As for LeDonne, he is at home in any mood and tempo, brightening every theme with his special warmth and perception. Together, Alexander and LeDonne comprise an almost unbeatable team; and even when apart, their perception and eloquence are such that the listener is never displeased or left to assume that more could have been said or done. Even with the heat on low, an impressive session from start to finish.