Eric Alexander Quartet Gentle Ballads SACD

This Single-Layer SACD can only be played on a Super Audio CD Player!
First Installment from Highly Accomplished Jazz Musicians!
American musician Eric Wells Alexander began playing piano, clarinet, and alto saxophone at a very young age, but switched to tenor saxophone and jazz during his studies at the University of Indiana. He continued his studies at William Paterson College in New Jersey with Joe Lovano, Rufus Reid and pianist Harold Mabern. In 1991, he finished 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 album "Gentle Ballads" from 2004, which Allmusic compared to Coltrane's Ballads LP from the early 60s, 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 original composition by Alexander, has such a beautiful and delicate melody that it could be considered one of the established standards. Although all songs are described as "ballads", the program is extremely varied in rhythm, tempo and sound and gives the feeling of sitting in the front row in 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" for the limited Japanese SACD (DSD, Non-Hybrid) of "Gentle Ballads", which produces a very powerful, present sound and is highly appreciated by audiophiles worldwide.

Features:

• Super Audio CD
• SACD Stereo SACD Layer
• This Single-Layer SACD can only be played on a Super Audio CD Player! It will NOT play on conventional CD Players!
• Mixed & Mastered by Tetsuo Hara
• Venus Hyper Magnum Sound Direct Mix Stereo
• Made in Japan

Musicians:

• Eric Alexander, tenor sax
• Mike LeDonne, piano
• John Webber, bass
• Joe Farnsworth, drums

Selections:

1. The Midnight Sun Will Never Set
2. Left Alone
3. Gently 4. Here's
To Life
5. Midnight Sun
6. Harlem Nocturne
7. Soul Eyes
8. Under A Blanket Of Blue
9. Stormy Weather
10. Chelsea Bridge
11. Harlem Nocturne II