Chicago Fire in Bloomington, MN

Recorded at the storied
Rudy Van Gelder
Studios in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey,
Eric Alexander
's 2014 effort,
Chicago Fire
, finds the tenor saxophonist paying tribute to the city that helped shape his sound and career. Having studied with pianist and Chicago native
Harold Mabern
while at William Patterson College,
Alexander
established himself in the Windy City after graduating in the early '90s. He has worked with
Mabern
ever since and their mutual love and musical synergy is palpable here. Also backing
are his longtime compatriots bassist
John Webber
and drummer
Joe Farnsworth
. Trumpeter and
High Note
labelmate
Jeremy Pelt
also joins in on several cuts. As with all of
's output,
is a no-nonsense set of original and cover songs that showcases his passionate, swinging, straight-ahead jazz sound. ~ Matt Collar