Alive in the Bronx

A friend of mine came to the gig on Wednesday night and said she had to take off before it was over, get home, lots to do...  The second set ended, she was still sitting there, and she said to me, "I just didn't want to leave."  I said, "I know."  There's something about these guys, when they're playing, doing their thing, living it, up on stage, you can't walk away.

They opened the show with "Willow Weep for Me."  I haven't heard it in a while and I loved it.  Eric Alexander's sax, strident, unforgiving, pushed into the sadness, gave into it, ripped it out, told us how it is, and kept moving. They played a swinging, sultry "Misty," and a new piece Joe Farnsworth (on drums) wrote on his recent trip to Japan titled "Recover," a duet for himself and Eric -- restrained and reverent.

Rale Micic, Serbian jazz guitarist, showed up and sat in on "Sugar."  It was cookin'.  Click below.

  
Eric and John Webber (on bass) played "You Don't Know What Love Is," moving and lyrical.  They ended the night with "Parker's Mood," a big bluesy stunner.  Eric's colossal sound and major skill burned it up.  Click here.  It was some serious fun.