Two Smokin' Tenors: Dave O'Higgins and Eric Alexander

Tenor battles go well back in jazz. The tradition is being kept alive today by, among others, Eric Alexander, who is featured here working with UK tenor saxophonist Dave O'Higgins, albeit on less a battle than a wonderful set of harmonized songs and traded phrases. (Alexander used a similar format on the disc "Battle: Live at Smoke" (Highnote 2005), trading phrases with alto sax player Vincent Herring on a very exciting live effort from the venerable New York jazz nightclub.) Eric Alexander is one of the most prolific American tenor sax players. He has been featured on discs here in the U.S. from Highnote for the past decade, but also has produced reocrds for Venus (Japan), while participating on countless other recordings as a sideman on a range of playdates and labels. If you like Alexander's play, tone, and choice of music, you will love this disc. But who is Dave O'Higgins? As I have said several times already on this blog, when it comes to jazz players from outside the U.S., we are far less knowledgable than  foreigners are to U.S. players. And it is not for lack of skill on the part of the non-Americans -- for years there have been recordings of Ben Webster, Scott Hamilton, Dexter Gordon, and others playing with outstanding European players. On sax alone I have wonderful recordings of U.K. sax players Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott, Alan Barnes, Martin Speake both as leaders and in pairings with the best of the Americans. The two discs here are a great way to introduce Americans to the skills of Dave O'Higgins, and by extension perhaps other notables. O"Higgins has been called “one of the most vigorously compelling tenor players on the UK scene." His influences are clearly the straight ahead players of an earlier generation like  Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, or Dexter Gordon. His music is  straight-ahead, accessible, no-nonsense jazz, Which makes him a perfect mate for Eric Alexander, himself considered one of the younger generation's most direct connection to the earlier hard bop masters.  O'Higgins has won Best Tenor Sax at the British Jazz Awards twice, and has worked with many of the finest players both in the U.S. and the UK --  Ronnie Scott's Allstars, Martin Taylor,  Joe Locke, Stan Tracey,  Joey Calderazzo, Kyle Eastwood, John Dankworth & Cleo Laine,  Ray Charles and Jimmy Smith to name a few. Sketchbook Dave O'Higgins Quintet Jazzizit Records 2009 Dave O'Higgins, Tenor Sax Eric Alexander, Tenor Sax James Pearson, Piano Arnie Somogyi, Bass Kristian Leth, drums This is a classic, hard-swinging tenor-sax dialogue between O'Higgins and Alexander, not quite a battle but certainly a call to arms to bring your best to the table. It  is the kind of thing that harkens back to the 1950s and 1960s. with great play by the leads and the piano trio backing, strong melodic lines, and fierce interplay. Sketchbook is already the 10th CD that O'Higgins has led, and his confidence is clear, as is his warm and round sax sound, complementing the similar tones of Alexander's horn.  This disc's straightahead style hearkens back but has new life and craetivity in play of this next generation.  there are tunes by Sonny Rollins, McCoy Tyner and Johnny Griffin, side by side with originals by the leaders that feel of a piece with the rest. The Blue Note soul-jazz style is clear in O'Higgins's "Frith Street Blues". There is speedy work on the Rollins peiece, contrasted later with some great ballad play by Alexander on  "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life" and O"Higgins on "Estate". The Devil's Interval Dave O'Higgins and Eric Alexander with the Kristian Leth Trio JVG Productions 2011   Dave O'Higgins, Tenor Sax Eric Alexander, Tenor Sax Andrew McCormack, piano Geoff Gascoyne, bass Kristian Leth, drums The same five players returned two years later with "The Devil's Interval" another outstanding collaboration that might even exceed the first in energy and musicianship. Again mixing standard and originals, the group demonstrates a relaxed companionship that raises the stakes for both players. "It Ain't Necessarily So" is played with great style and emotion, and the title track allows both tenors to stretch out with some great solo work. Dave O"Higgins is a wonderful tenor sax player from the UK, and one I hope folks will listen to on other CDs as well. Introducing him with Eric Alexander not only provides readers with two gerat discs to find, but also a solid introduction to another great player. .