Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Eric Alexander was born August 4, 1968 in Galesburg, Illinois and began as a classical musician studying piano at six, clarinet at nine, switching to alto saxophone three years later. While at Indiana University he switched to the tenor saxophone and jazz before transferring to William Paterson University where he studied with Harold Mabern, Rufus Reid, Joe Lovano, Gary Smulyan, Ralph LaLama, Norman Simmons, Steve Turre and many others.
Alexander first achieved fame by finishing second behind Joshua Redman and ahead of Chris Potter at the 1991 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. He was quickly signed and began recording his more than three-dozen albums as a leader and collaborator.
Influenced primarily by Sonny Stitt, Dexter Gordon and George Coleman, playing in the hard bop and post-bop styles, he has worked with such notables as Ron Carter, Joe Farnsworth, Pat Martino, Peter Bernstein, Vincent Herring, Grant Stewart and Mike LeDonne among others. Alto saxophonist Eric Alexander continues to record and tour as a leader, extensively with the sextet One For All.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
James Spaulding was born July 30, 1937 in Indianapolis, Indiana and started playing bugle while in grade school. He later learned to play trumpet and saxophone and flute. While in high school he studied clarinet and made his professional debut around his hometown in a rhythm and blues band.
After a three-year enlistment in the Army he settled to Chicago in 1957 leading his own groups. It was during this period he joined the Sun Ra Arkestra, making several recordings and remaining through 1959, while furthering his studies of flute at the Chicago Cosmopolitan School of Music. Spaulding subsequently freelanced as a studio musician and occasionally led his own groups before returning to Indianapolis in 1961.
Relocating to New York City in 1963, he recorded extensively for Blue Note Records as a sideman, and led several sessions as a leader for Storyville, Muse, 32 and High Note. He was also a member of the World Saxophone Quartet and recorded with Grant Green, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Lee Morgan, David Murray, Duke Pearson, Sam Rivers, Pharoah Sanders, Wayne Shorter, Stanley Turrentine, Larry Young and others.
As an educator he taught flute as an adjunct professor at Livingston College in New Jersey. Alto saxophonist James Spaulding continues to perform and record.
Requisites
Sphere On Tour ~ Sphere | By Eddie Carter
This morning’s album from the library is a 1985 live recording by the bop quartet Sphere. Sphere on Tour (Red Record VPA 191) was the first of two live dates in their small discography and one of two records they recorded for the Italian label. Sphere took the pianist’s middle name and was originally formed to honor Thelonious Monk’s legacy after his death. The quartet quickly broadened its focus by recording albums that also featured its own original compositions. The group consists of two former members of Monk’s group, tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse and drummer Ben Riley, and is anchored by pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Buster Williams. The copy I own is the 1986 Italian stereo release.
Dual Force by Buster Williams opens the set with the foursome’s lively melody setting the tone. Kenny gets things started with a spirited lead solo, then Charlie wails enthusiastically in a lengthy performance. Buster takes a short, scintillating statement leading to the theme’s restatement and an upbeat finish. Beautiful Friendship by Donald Kahn and Stanley Styne slows the pace when the rhythm section’s pretty introduction moves to an upbeat theme when Charlie enters. Kenny is up first to give a charming solo, then Charlie cooks at an easy groove next. Buster evokes a sense of intimacy in a short statement, and Ben has the last word before the theme returns and the song ends softly.
Scratch by Kenny Barron begins with the foursome’s offbeat introduction and melody. Charlie’s opening statement pushes his solo to the outer limits of musical boundaries. Kenny follows with a bit of quirky fun, then Buster takes an interesting walk, preceding the quirky theme reprise and abrupt stop. Tayamisha by Buster Williams starts Side Two at midtempo with the bassist’s introduction to the opening ensemble. Charlie leads the way with a smoothly flowing interpretation. Kenny comes in next for a delightful display of evident pleasure, then Buster takes us home in a short walk of consummate ease ahead of the quartet’s theme restatement and ending.
Up next is Spiral by Kenny Barron. Kenny brings the song to life, segueing into the quartet’s melody. Charlie sets the tone in the first solo with warmth, deep conviction and melodic beauty. Kenny follows with an exquisite, elegant statement, then Buster communicates his heart before the foursome regroups for the theme’s return. To conclude the album, the quartet dresses up one of Thelonious Monk’s most popular tunes, Well, You Needn’t, mistakenly listed as “Will, You Needn’t,” with a spirited introduction by Riley and the rhythm section, ahead of the ensemble melody. Charlie is off to the races with an intense drive. Kenny builds upon his solo with a steady attack, then Buster takes a short, swift walk leading back to the ending theme, band introductions and a pleasant goodnight to the audience.
Sphere on Tour was produced by Red Records co-founders Alberto Alberti and Sergio Veschi. Gianni Grassilli was the recording engineer, and the album’s sound quality is superb, with a soundstage that transports the listener to the audience as the musicians perform. The original group, consisting of Rouse, Barron, Williams, and Riley, recorded six albums from 1982 to 1988. They disbanded briefly after Rouse’s death, then made one final album with Gary Bartz in 1997. If you’re in the mood for live bop from a fabulous quartet who effortlessly blend innovation and tradition, I invite you to check out Sphere on Tour on your next record shopping trip. It’s a terrific introduction to their music collectively and might become a welcome addition to your jazz library!
~ A Beautiful Friendship, Well, You Needn’t – Source: Wikipedia.org
© 2026 by Edward Thomas Carter
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Johnny Hodges was born John Keith Hodges on July 25, 1906 in Cambridge, Massachusetts but soon after the family moved to Boston. Growing up with baritone saxophonist Harry Carney and saxophonists Charlie Holmes and Howard E. Johnson, he started out on drums and piano and was mostly self-taught. He became good enough to play the piano at dances in private homes. By the time he was a teenager, he took up the soprano saxophone and around this time he picked up the nickname “Rabbit”, either for his ability to outrun truant officers or his nibbling on lettuce and tomato sandwiches.
When Hodges was 14 he saw Sidney Bechet, introduced himself, played a tune, received encouragement to continue to play and grew a name for himself in the Boston area till he moved to New York in 1924, able to play both the alto and soprano saxophone.
Hodges started playing with Lloyd Scott, Sidney Bechet, Lucky Roberts and Chick Webb. In 1928 he joined the Ellington orchestra and became one of the identifying voices on both alto and soprano sax. Leaving Duke in 1951 to lead his own band, he returned four years later shortly before Ellington’s 1956 performance at the Newport Jazz Festival. Ellington would write pieces like “Confab with Rab”, “Jeep’s Blues”, “Sultry Sunset”, “Hodge Podge” and “Prelude To A Kiss” among many others that featured Hodge.
Johnny’s pure tone and economy of melody on both the blues and ballads won him admiration from musicians of all eras and styles, from Ben Webster to John Coltrane, who both played with him when he had his own orchestra in the 1950s, to Lawrence Welk, who featured him in an album of standards.
Alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges’ last recordings are featured on the New Orleans Suite album and his final performances were at the Imperial Room in Toronto, less than a week before his death from a heart attack on May 11, 1970. He is considered one of the definitive alto saxophones players of swing in the Big Band Era and of mainstream jazz.
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Daily Dose Of Jazz…
Bill Perkins was born on July 22, 1924 in San Francisco, California, grew up in Chile, moved to Santa Barbara and served in the military during World War II. While living in Santa Barbara after his discharge, he studied music and engineering at Cal-Tech at the University of California and a Westlake College.
Bill started out performing in the big bands of Woody Herman and Jerry Wald. He also worked for the Stan Kenton orchestra, a move that subsequently led to his entry into the cool jazz idiom. He became one of the coolest and a major influence in the cool school on the West Coast jazz scene.
Perk, as he was known, started recording as a leader in 1956 with John Lewis on Grand Encounter and sessions with Art Pepper, Bud Shank and Richie Kamuca, to name just a few. During the 60s he held had a dual career as a studio musician and recording engineer. From 1970-1992 he held a chair in The Tonight Show band and a member of the Bud Shank Sextet.
Though he played baritone, alto, soprano and flute he was best known for his tenor and most remembered for his baritone and tenor work with The Lighthouse All-Stars. Over the course of his career Bill Perkins recorded twenty-three albums as a leader and sideman up until the time of his death on August 9, 2003.