For One for All, a top-notch all-star hard bop sextet, The Lineup is their 11th album. Returning to their original label, Sharp Nine, the group's basic sound is unchanged from when it was formed in 1997, being very much in the style of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers without sounding overly derivative. Four of the group's musicians contributed seven of the eight selections to this program, all but the standard "Sweet and Lovely." Alternating medium-tempo romps with ballads, each performance features high-quality solos, clean ensembles, and hard swinging. This is no-nonsense modern straight-ahead jazz played by some of the top interpreters of the idiom, and is easily recommended. ~ Scott Yanow
Label - Sharp Nine (1037) Recorded Feb 20, 2006
One 4 All Eric Alexander - sax tenor Steve Davis - trombone Jim Rotondi - trumpet, flugelhorn David Hazeltine - piano John Webber - bass Joe Farnsworth - drums
Tracks 01. Anatolia 06:34 02. Sweet and Lovely 07:27 03. Little Lucas 07:02 04. Downtown Sounds 07:59 05. Letter to Mary 05:27 06. The Lineup 08:58 07. Express Train 07:54 08. Smooth 06:18