British pianist and composer Alexander Hawkins is a creative epicenter of the London jazz scene and is regarded as one of the most innovative musicians with a surprising radius of action. His trio with Neil Charles and Stephen Davis was formed in 2012 and masterfully celebrates the connection of freedom and structure, composition and improvisation. Carnival Celestial is a fantastic work of musical presence and impressively proves what is possible with piano, bass and drums - one of the more convention-laden formats in jazz practice. "Hawkins, Charles, and Davis clearly have moved the piano trio forward and stretched it's conceptual horizons with Carnival Celestial, and in doing so, they have contributed to it's ongoing vitality," writes Bill Shoemaker in the liner notes.

New World Premiere recordings of gloriously cellistic cello repertoire from Marina Tarasova who has recently been getting much well deserved acclaim for her work

Saxophonists create a loose, spacious album w. a jam session feel to it w. Jodie Christian-piano, Dan Shapera-bass & Wilbur Campbell-drums.

Both critically acclaimed and the best-selling newly recorded album for Delmark in recent times, 2012's Been There Done That put Linsey Alexander in the blues spotlight. "Throughout Alexander sings with a conviction and verve that few can equal. This should be his breakout recording." Gary von Tersch, Big City Rhythm & Blues Similar to the first album, Come Back Baby is full of delightful new originals including "Little Bit of Soap", "Booty Call", "Call My Wife", "Things Done Changed", "Too Old To Be A New Fool" and the title track. Once again Linsey led his nine-piece band live in the studio with special guest Billy Branch on harmonica.

Linsey Alexander is a classic Bluesman, and these performances come from a live show at a the legendary Chicago Blues club, Rosa's Lounge. Continuing the Delmark legacy of great live recordings, this album will give Linsey the respect he deserves as an artist and mentor to many younger musicians.

A review of Linsey Alexander's previous album Come Back Baby (DMK 838) in Living Blues magazine called it "a can't-miss release for any lover of no-nonsense Chicago blues". The "Hoochie Man" is back with all original material including the new smash Two Cats! "My woman got two cats, one in the front, the other in the back!" From the searing "Where Did You Take Your Clothes Off Last Night" to the tender "Til I Kissed You", from the comedic "Facebook Woman" to the political "Comb Over Blues" Linsey weaves his colorful stories throughout this album of blues, soul, R&B and funk. It's great fun and serious music at the same time. 'Cause the blues don't mess around and neither does Linsey.

Bluesman Linsey Alexander was born in Mississippi and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. His first guitar was never retrieved from the pawn shop where he left it almost 50 years ago. Using the money to help pay his way to Chicago, he now has a variety of guitars. Linsey has played with B.B. King, Bobby Rush, Buddy Guy, Little Milton, Magic Slim Johnnie Taylor, Larry McCray, A. C. Reed, Byther Smith, John Primer, Otis Clay and Eddie Clearwater. Been There Done That is Linsey's Delmark debut and it features an eight piece band including the LA Horns plus special guest Billy Branch on harmonica. Lots of brand new original songs brought to life by Linsey's powerful vocals.

Young tenor sax genius is at it again with help from pianist Harold Mabern, Jim Rotundi on trumpet, John Webber on bass, George Fludas on drums & Steve Davis on trombone. (Previously deleted:11/1/07. Original release date:1/13/98)

DEAD CENTER

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. After successfully pitching the idea of using his second saxophone-with-strings project as a debut on alto, the present recording is quite simply astounding. Working with his regular rhythm section and adding ace string arrangements, this altoist delivers one revelatory performance after another.

CHICAGO FIRE

Eric Alexander makes his first foray on HighNote Records into the hallowed halls of the 'ballad record', and joins the ranks of such tenor balladeers as Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Houston Person, Hank Mobley and countless others. But this is not your mother's ballad record. Eric has selected an interesting program of music that will interest and please even the most seasoned collectors. From "Dinner for One Please, James" to Trane's "Central Park West," Eric displays a thoughtful sensitivity that is all the more effective for being so surprising.

Alto saxophonist Vincent Herring's and tenor man Eric Alexander's collaborative ethos makes FRIENDLY FIRE the thoroughly musical affair that it is, the saxophonists bring the unmistakable charge of friendly rivalry to the date as well.

Tenor Saxman Eric Alexander has more than lived up to his Young Lion hype. Last year he released his amazing 18th recording as leader for HighNote, IT'S ALL IN THE GAME. It only reinforces what has been clear from his work of the past decade, Alexander is one of the leading talents of modern tenor saxophone. Eric and his working band explore a wealth of material, finding treasures and mining each gem without getting tedious, varying his strategies from fluttering wisps, meaty arpeggios and evocative swirls.

For his latest HighNote release, Eric Alexander is once again in the Rudy Van Gelder studio with his long-time collaborators Harold Mabern, Joe Farnsworth and Nat Reeves for a program of originals, standards and not-so-standards delivered with the prerequisite imagination and daring that has made Eric Alexander a place among the elite jazzmen of today.

Tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander made his first CD as a bandleader at the age of 25. That was 17 years ago and, oddly enough, you can still sometimes see Alexander described as an "up-and-coming" jazz saxophonist. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth he's fully developed into one of the finest bebop saxophonists in the world and the proof is in this session. With Harold Mabern, Nat Reeves and Joe Farnsworth providing the rhythmic spark, Eric presents an imaginative program recorded by Rudy Van Gelder.

Hearing tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander is one of the great treats in jazz. There are few artists on stage today who combine chops, imagination and technique with a fluidity of ideas as he does. This imposing improviser is reunited here with pianist David Hazeltine and they're joined by another jazz great, the always daring trumpeter Jon Faddis on a couple of the tracks. Add in the swing engendered by bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth and you have a formula for excellence, if ever there was one. Alexander produced the session and there is a strong latin feel throughout thanks to the contributions of vibrant percussionist Alex Diaz spurring the band on with a whole trunk load of Latin percussion instruments. In addition to the Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66 title tune, the set-list features a satisfying mix of originals and covers all given the patented Alexander treatment.

CHICAGO FIRE

2019 release. Eric Alexander's prowess on the tenor saxophone, his unimpeachable virtuosity and technical skill, is obvious to anyone who has paid attention to his fluent and stirring work over the past three decades. His reputation as a hard-blowing jazz gladiator has stood him well with fellow musicians and loyal listeners. Admired and enjoyed for his exceptional powers, Alexander is a model of mainstream jazz expertise. However, on this HighNote recording Eric, backed by three of his favorite colleagues and the lush sounds of a string orchestra, brings his lyrical side to the fore. "I wanted to get straight into the beauty of a song, always putting the melody first, " Alexander states about his expressed intentions for the album. "Improvisations are the icing on the cake." With the fruition of this dream project Alexander has again succeeded in proving that his long obvious gifts as a player are equaled by his respect for the gift of song.

Eric Alexander - Timing Is Everything (180 Gram Black Vinyl) This titan of the sax saxophone is back in a small group setting, asserting himself as one of the finest to ever lay hands on a saxophone. - Although Eric has made several appearances on my label: One For All - Invades Vancouver, Michael Weiss - Persistence, The Heavy Hitters, Xaver Hellmeier - X-Man in New York and my record O Sole Mio, he has never appeared as a leader until now. When I started Cellar Live in 2000, recording a musician the stature of Eric Alexander was a dream-Eric enjoyed long stints with some pretty incredible record labels over the years and I wasn't ready to play in the BIG leagues at that point. But many incredible things have happened at the label since that time. And now that the opportunity to record him has come up, I am able to jump at the chance. - Timing Is Everything is an appropriate title for both this recording, but, as Eric explains, "for life in general." "When you're playing jazz music," he continues, "you can play all the right notes, but if you don't time them correctly, it's nothing... and when you do time them correctly, it's everything." Similarly, when talking about life, Eric states, "one of the few things that a human being possesses is their time. You don't own your life. You don't own your car. You only own your time. In order to have a fulfilled life, you have to protect your time and your timing. Timing is Everything because you can't get time back."

Eric Alexander - Timing Is Everything / Although Eric has made several appearances on my label: One For All - Invades Vancouver, Michael Weiss - Persistence, The Heavy Hitters, Xaver Hellmeier - X-Man in New York and my record O Sole Mio, he has never appeared as a leader until now. When I started Cellar Live in 2000, recording a musician the stature of Eric Alexander was a dream-Eric enjoyed long stints with some pretty incredible record labels over the years and I wasn't ready to play in the BIG leagues at that point. But many incredible things have happened at the label since that time. And now that the opportunity to record him has come up, I am able to jump at the chance. Timing Is Everything is an appropriate title for both this recording, but, as Eric explains, "for life in general." "When you're playing jazz music," he continues, "you can play all the right notes, but if you don't time them correctly, it's nothing... and when you do time them correctly, it's everything." Similarly, when talking about life, Eric states, "one of the few things that a human being possesses is their time. You don't own your life. You don't own your car. You only own your time. In order to have a fulfilled life, you have to protect your time and your timing. Timing is Everything because you can't get time back."

Audrey is the fifth volume in the series and the name-dropping titles include; Buddy Covelle, Lorraine, Wild Child Gipson, Uncle John, Billy Lehman and The Penn-Men, Audrey, The Valiants, Frieda, Frieda, Ross Minmi, Oh Janet, Chip Fisher, Oh Ye Louise, Sonny Fisher, Sneaky Pete and many more. Between the thematic titles you hear about rockers searching for love; Varetta Dillard, Promise Mr. Thomas, Ben Hughes, Crazy Man, and The Phaetons only want a Fling. Shorty Billups has found a Boss Chick. Who is the cool kid posing in the corner? It's no less than The Boy With The Be Bop Glasses, The Dawn Breakers, Fox Hall wants to dance and Do The Rock And Roll, and Bill Carey is the guy in charge of the Record Hop. Collay and The Satellites sing about the cutie from the street, Little Girl Next Door, and Ruth Christie is certain that things will work out and brings the fun to an end with her smooth love song This Must Be Love.

Eric Alexander & Ledonne Mike - Together / Saxophone titan Eric Alexander and Hammond maestro Mike LeDonne come together for an incredible duo record on Cellar Music. With the two principals featured in both solo and duo formats, 'Together' is tethered by the supreme musicianship for which LeDonne and Alexander are known, as well as the comfortable tug of trust and bandstand familiarity. Featuring both original compositions and standards, this recording showcases a special musical dialog between these two modern masters who's long standing friendship and talent enables them to communicate with a kind of musical clairvoyance.

A lover of historical keyboard instruments, Alexander Melnikov has already successfully met the challenge of exploring 'Four Pieces, Four Pianos' on record and in concert back in 2018. Today, he has chosen to perform seven emblematic works of the fantasia genre on harpsichord, fortepiano, tangent piano, early grands, and so on. In this journey through the keyboards of time, we can discover these pieces as they sounded at the time of their creation, but also grasp the invisible thread that links them to each other.

Using period instruments, Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov breathe new life into these sonatas for keyboard with violin accompaniment, a tradition Mozart renewed from within, blazing the trail for Beethoven, Schubert and Schumann.