Características
American musician Eric Wells Alexander began playing piano, clarinet, and (at age twelve) alto saxophone, but switched to tenor saxophone while studying at Indiana University and, after classical training, to jazz. He continued his studies at William Paterson College in New Jersey with Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid and pianist Harold Mabern. In 1991, he came second in the Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition behind superstar Joshua Redman and made his first recordings with Charles Earland on Muse Records in the same year. Today, he is considered one of the best tenor saxophonists of his generation and has long been represented by Venus Records with numerous albums. The 2004 album “Gentle Ballads”, which Allmusic compared to Coltrane's Ballads LP from the early 1960s, marked the commercial breakthrough of his quartet.
His warm, powerful tone captivates the listener from the first note of the opening track, “Midnight Sun Will Never Set”. “Gently”, an Alexander original, has such a beautiful and delicate melody that it could be mistaken for one of the established standards. Although all the songs are described as “ballads”, the program is extremely varied in rhythm, tempo and sound, giving the listener the feeling of sitting in the front row of an intimate jazz club. On “Gentle Ballads”, Eric Alexander is accompanied by top-class musicians: Mike LeDonne on piano, John Webber on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.
Venus Records was founded in 1992 by Tetsuo Hara, who had previously worked as a producer for RCA Victor. The label uses a special mastering process called “Hyper Magnum Sound” – also for the limited Japan only SACD (DSD, Non-Hybrid) of “Gentle Ballads”. This special mastering produces a very powerful, present sound and is highly valued by audiophiles worldwide.
1. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set2. Left Alone3. Gently4. Here's To Life5. Midnight Sun6. Harlem Nocturne7. Soul Eyes8. Under A Blanket Of Blue9. Stormy Weather10. Chelsea Bridge11. Harlem Nocturne II