Recalling the moody and atmospheric mid-to-late-'60s work of fellow reedmen
Wayne Shorter and
Hank Mobley, tenor saxophonist
Eric Alexander's
Dead Center has a reflective quality that lends itself to such timely compositions as
McCoy Tyner's "Search for Peace." It also reveals
Alexander's lithe and gentle touch on standards including "Almost Like Being in Love," while lesser known works like
Herbie Hancock's "Sonrisa" showcase his deft harmonic invention and superb rhythmic sense. Similarly, pianist
Harold Mabern's groove-oriented "A Few Miles From Memphis" is propelled along by drummer
Joe Farnsworth's soul-inflected beat with
Alexander nudging lines back and forth deep inside the rhythm pocket. While not a significant departure from his past work,
Dead Center nonetheless finds
Alexander revealing himself as a grounded and muscular improviser who never takes his eye off the target. ~ Matt Collar