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As difficult times often beget new beginnings, the Covid-19 quagmire gave birth to alto saxophonist Eric Alexander. To some, a tenor-to-alto switch may not seem to be a newsworthy matter, but for the initiated, it’s the stuff of headlines. An inveterate tenor at the apex of the scene for more than three decades, Eric put the alto away in his teen years and never looked back. “But with the dearth of opportunities to play during the pandemic, I started to work on it,” he confesses. He successfully pitched the idea of using his second saxophone-with-strings project as a debut on alto.
Arturo O’Farrill returns to his first love—the piano—on his remarkable new Blue Note album, “Legacies.” Renowned as a composer, arranger and bandleader, here the 8-time Grammy-winner puts the emphasis back on his striking pianistic abilities with a 9-song set that juxtaposes stunning solo piano flights and dynamic trio performances with O’Farrill accompanied by his son, drummer Zack O’Farrill, and bassist Liany Mateo. The repertoire includes pieces by Bud Powell, Monk, Herbie Hancock, Carla Bley, and his father Chico O’Farrill.
Also this week, “What’s Trending” is Grammy-winning singer-songwriter Leo Sidran’s eighth solo recorded, a hip, deeply personal exploration of how music can make life more livable in difficult times;
baritone saxophonist David Larsen’s “The Peplowski Project” features the great clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski on a mix of jazz standards and Larsen originals;
and “The Trio—Vol. 3” is the newest recording by pianist and composer Dave Bass, a lyrical, freewheeling buffet of solid originals together with an eclectic assortment of compositions ranging from the Great American Songbook to the jazz songbook.