Jim Rotondi and Eric Alexander - a dynamic duo as players and composers

Trumpeter Jim Rotondi and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander are both great musicians and accomplished composers in their own right, but they have also collaborated to write several fun, challenging and groovy songs they've recorded together. We've had Biru Kirusai up on jazzleadsheets.com for a while; five more co-composed songs of Jim's and Eric's are now available. The earliest of these is Straight Up, first recorded in 1992 as the title track of Eric's first album as a leader. This high-energy uptempo blues with a bridge was later recorded by Jim and Eric with the cooperative sextet One For All. Burner's Waltz is a modal 3/4 song dedicated to, and recorded with, master organist Charles Earland, the "Mighty Burner," with whom the two composers played extensively. Likewise Mode For Mabes honors another veteran collaborator, pianist Harold Mabern. This one features a medium Latin-rock groove and a piano intro vamp in Mabern's distinctive style. Two more come from Jim's 1997 album "Jim's Bop": the slow, laid-back Last Call and the angular medium-up King Of The Hill.

In addition to lead sheets, all of these songs have parts available for the arrangements heard on the original recordings. All are quintet arrangements except for Mode For Mabes which is for sextet.

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