Chicago Fire (Eric Alexander album)

Last updated
Chicago Fire
EAlexander ChicagoF.jpg
Studio album by Eric Alexander
Released 2014
Recorded November 26, 2013
Studio Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Genre Jazz
Label HighNote
Producer Eric Alexander

Chicago Fire is an album by tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. It was recorded in 2013 and released by HighNote Records the following year.

Eric Alexander (jazz saxophonist) saxophonist

Eric Alexander is an American jazz saxophonist, known for his sophisticated hard bop and post-bop style.

HighNote Records is a jazz record company and label founded by Joe Fields with his son, Barney Fields, in 1997.

Contents

Recording and music

The album was recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, on November 26, 2013. [1] Most tracks are played by the quartet of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth. [2] Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is added for three tracks. [3] Alexander also produced the album. [1] The tracks have a Chicago theme: "The Bee Hive" is named after a former club there, while "Eddie Harris", "Mr. Stitt", and "Blueski for Vonski" are for musicians associated with the city (Eddie Harris, Sonny Stitt, and Von Freeman, respectively). [3] [4]

The Van Gelder Studio is a recording studio located at 445 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Following the use of his parent's home at 25 Prospect Avenue, Hackensack, New Jersey for the original studio, Rudy Van Gelder (1924–2016) established the new location for his recording studio in 1959. It has been used to record many albums released by jazz labels such as Blue Note, Prestige, Impulse!, Verve and CTI.

Harold Mabern American pianist

Harold Mabern, Jr. is an American jazz pianist and composer, principally in the hard bop, post-bop, and soul jazz fields. He is described in The Penguin Guide to Jazz Recordings as "one of the great post-bop pianists".

John Robert Webber is an American jazz double-bassist.

Release and reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [2]

Chicago Fire was released by HighNote Records in 2014. [3] JazzTimes reported that "Alexander has released more than 30 albums in two decades, and this is one of the most vital." [4] The AllMusic reviewer concluded that, "Chicago Fire is a no-nonsense set of original and cover songs that showcases his passionate, swinging, straight-ahead jazz sound." [2]

JazzTimes is an American magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C. in 1970 by Ira Davidson Sabin (1928–2018) as a newsletter called Radio Free Jazz. Sabine founded Radio Free Jazz to complement his Washington, D.C. record store that he founded in 1962. As a newsletter, it informed consumers of the latest jazz releases and provided jazz broadcasters with news and backstories related to playlists.

AllMusic online music database

AllMusic is an online music database. It catalogs more than 3 million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musical artists and bands. It launched in 1991, predating the World Wide Web.

Track listing

  1. "Save Your Love for Me"
  2. "The Bee Hive"
  3. "Eddie Harris"
  4. "Just One of Those Things"
  5. "Blueski for Vonski"
  6. "Mr. Stitt"
  7. "You Talk That Talk"
  8. "Don't Take Your Love from Me"

Personnel

Jeremy Pelt American musician and hornist

Jeremy Pelt is an American jazz trumpeter.

Joe Farnsworth American musician

Joseph Allen Farnsworth is an American jazz drummer.

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References

  1. 1 2 Alexander, Eric "Chicago Fire" (CD liner notes). HighNote Records. HCD 7262.
  2. 1 2 3 Collar, Matt "Eric Alexander: Chicago Fire". AllMusic. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 Bowers, Jack (May 2, 2014) "Eric Alexander: Chicago Fire". All About Jazz.
  4. 1 2 Tamarkin, Jeff (May 14, 2014) "Eric Alexander: Chicago Fire". JazzTimes.