Muziekwereld 02-24

Nederlands Jazz ArchiefEnglish:Saxophonist Susanne Alt hails from Germany but has long been a part of our jazz scene. Royalty For Real has the aura of a prestigious product. It is also a tribute to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Hargrove was fond of participating in the after-hours sessions at North Sea Jazz; Alt occasionally played alongside him there – hence Bel Air Bop, one of the seven tracks. The saxophonist/flutist wrote five of the tracks herself, in addition to The Nearness of You and Roy Allan by Hargrove. The album was recorded in February 2022 in New York with pianist James Hurt, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Willie Jones III. - MuziekwereldEnglish translation:The now sixth album by saxophonist Susanne Alt is a tribute to the jazz trumpet legend Roy Hargrove, who passed away much too early in 2018. Alt recorded this CD during the corona pandemic in the Eastside studio in New York, together with James Hurt (Fender Rhodes, piano), Gerald Cannon (bass), and Willie Jones III on drums. All these musicians have performed with Hargrove at some point. Alts' Bel Air Bop is a flashy number in which this rock-solid rhythm section propels the whole, punctuated with a busy drum solo and a virtuosic piece of piano playing. As an unconventional accompaniment, Alt has played a velvety flute arrangement underneath: chapeau! Classy Cats is my favorite, with two alternating contrasting parts, one of which at 9/8 always seems to go off the rails again. The Sinatra number The Nearness of You Alt turns into a very relaxed sultry ballad. Thanks to the long melodic lines with softly blown notes and a touch of vibrato, you almost want to listen forever... Until the beautiful solos on the last track Royalty for Real bring you back to earth.(MK)