Album Notes

The music seamlessly alternates between standards, traditional jazz and rhythm and blues classics. It features nine of Graham's original arrangements and some exemplary performances from a top-notch band that includes trumpeter Alex Norris, tenor saxophonist Ian Hendrickson-Smith and pianist Jeremy Manasia.

Alto saxophonist Alex Graham has performed with a variety of artists including Diane Schuur, The Four Tops, Nnenna Freelon, The Temptations, Michael Weiss, Aaron Goldberg, Mark Levine, The O’ Jays, Wessell Anderson, Jim Rotondi, Rodney Whitaker, Peter Bernstein, Steve Davis, Joe Magnarelli, Sam Yahel, Louis Smith and Dena Derose. After living in New York City for over ten years, Graham returned to his native Michigan to become the music director at Grand Hotel in 2001. His groups have performed at festivals and clubs all over the United States and have opened concerts for Dave Brubeck, The Count Basie Orchestra and John Pizzarelli, among others. He has been awarded fellowships and residencies to compose original music, and has composed and arranged for small group, big band and studio orchestra. His latest CD on Origin Records, Brand New, was ranked in the top 50 nationally for airplay, and his recent 1-hour podcast interview/feature with Detroit Jazz Stage (http://www.jazzstage.us/) was downloaded over 10,000 times in 2008 making it one of their most popular features. Dr. Graham is currently serving as an Artist in Residence at Eastern Michigan University and completed a doctorate in Jazz Studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY in 2009.