For All Mankind S03

Quintet of Jazz aficionados explore standards on this SACD from Venus Records. Pianist David Hazeltine joins Eric Alexander, Steve Davis, Peter Washington, Jim Rotondi, and Joe Farnsworth for this set of standards including "Corcovado", "Skylark" and "Stolen Moments". More detailed descriptions are really unnecessary for those familiar with the gentlemen that make up One For All; these guys have each developed their individual voices and are among the most in-demand musicians of the current set. And for the uninitiated, this set comes highly recommended as a consummate example of modern mainstream know-how.

Acclaimed sextet One for All makes its much-anticipated return with BIG GEORGE, its first release in seven years and its 17th. The album reunites Eric Alexander, Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, David Hazeltine, John Webber, and Joe Farnsworth, who are joined on three tracks by a very special guest saxophonist, their mentor and hero, NEA Jazz Master George Coleman.

Rock-solid work from One For All, easily one of the greatest straight jazz combos going, thanks to some tremendous tenor work from Eric Alexander, sweet piano work from David Hazeltine, and snapping rhythms from drummer Joe Farnsworth. The sextet also features Jim Rotondi on trumpet, Steve Davis on trombone, and John Webber on bass, all working here at the height of their powers, and also coming across with a bit more sharpness and soul than even other recent sessions on the Venus label. Arrangements are by all members of the group; the tunes are long and roll out beautifully with a solidly soulful feel — no surprise, given that most of them are covers of classic soul tunes from the '70s.

Known for their hard-bop style of jazz, the sextet One For All was formed in 1997 and features Eric Alexander (tenor saxophone), Jim Rotondi (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone), David Hazeltine (piano), David Williams (bass) and Joe Farnsworth (drums). The group has been compared to 1960s-era Blue Note jazz and Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and borrowed the name One For All from the Jazz Messengers' last album. Jazz Times' critic David Adler has called One For All "New York's premier hard-bop supergroup".

In the years between the historic first moonlanding by Apollo 11 on July 20,1969, and his death at age 82 on August 25, 2012, Neil Armstrong receivedhundreds of thousands of cards and letters from all over the world,congratulating him, praising him, requesting pictures and autographs, andasking him what must have seemed to him to be limitless—and occasionallyintrusive—questions. Of course, all the famous astronauts received fan mail,but the sheer volume Armstrong had to deal with for more than four decadesafter his moon landing was staggering.