You're my Favorite Client

This release from Eric Alexander is a notable one. Venus Records asked the readers of Swing Journal what they would like to hear Alexander play. From that long list of requested songs, Alexander selected the tunes included on My Favorite Things. Many of the selections are well-known jazz tracks heavily associated with tenor saxophone giants of the past. Some of them include "Sugar" by Stanley Turrentine, "Airegin" by Sonny Rollins, and "My Favorite Things" and "Lazy Bird" made famous by John Coltrane.

In the context of the decades since his passing and the legacy that's continued to grow, John Coltrane's Selflessness album bears an odd similarity to Bob Dylan's autobiographical book Chronicles. In Chronicles, Dylan tells the tale of his beginnings, jumping abruptly and confoundingly from his early years to life and work after his 1966 motorcycle accident, omitting any mention of his most popular and curious electric era. The contrast between these two eras becomes more vivid with the deletion of the years and events that bridged them. Released in 1969, Selflessness presents long-form pieces, likewise from two very distinct and separate eras of Coltrane's development.

Geddy Lee Weinrib known professionally as Geddy Lee, is a Canadian musician and songwriter, best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. My Favourite Headache, Lee's first and only solo album to date, was released on November 14, 2000 while Rush was on a hiatus due to tragedies in drummer Neil Peart's life. Both the title track and "Grace to Grace" received play on mainstream rock radio, and the album itself peaked at No. 52 on the Billboard 200.

Joan Baez's album If I Wrote You: Favorite Songs By Some Of My Favorite Songwriters is a collection of songs by artists she admires, showcasing her ability to interpret and breathe new life into their work.

Eric Alexander is in top form throughout this 2007 quartet session with some of his favorite bandmates, including David Hazeltine, bassist John Webber, and drummer Joe Farnsworth, all four of whom are members of the group One for All and regular participants on the Manhattan jazz scene in clubs and studios. The big-toned tenor saxophonist covers a lot of bases, including several standards, works by jazz greats (all tenor players), and a bossa nova. Though John Coltrane has been an obvious influence on some earlier recordings, he has developed his own sound, blending ideas from past artists with his own. The rhapsodic treatment of "Stella by Starlight" is one highlight, and while he opts for the famous Coltrane modal setting of "My Favorite Things," he doesn't linger in getting to the conclusion of its theme. His turbocharged take of Sonny Rollins' "Airegin" is fueled by his fiery rhythm section, while Hazeltine's soulful, lush accompaniment is the perfect backdrop for the leader in the moving "Lover Man." Another fine date by Eric Alexander, one of the best saxophonists of his generation.