I listened to Steve Slagle's "Alto Blue," which I bought awhile back, this afternoon ... and then listened to it again. It's a set of seven blues (four by Slagle and also pieces by Mingus and Lee Morgan) done by Slagle on alto sax, trumpeter Ryan Kisor, Scott Colley on bass and Gene Jackson on drums. Not a piano to be found. There's an eighth song, a ballad "Detour Ahead" that Slagle heard on a Billie Holiday record and on which he switches to flute in a trumpetless trio.
If you were trying to explain the central role the blues plays in jazz, this CD would be a good device. It's also a good example of complex improvising from a relatively simple base, yet another jazz staple. I like it a lot.
No comments:
Post a Comment