Saxophonist Susanne Alt (Würzburg, born 1978, based in Amsterdam since 1996) returns to acoustic jazz with her sixth studio album 'Royalty For Real'.
She dedicates the album to trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who passed away in 2018 at the age of 49. When her busy performance schedule suddenly came to a halt during the pandemic, she found inspiration to return to her passion for jazz, which began at age 15 with a love for the music of Joshua Redman, Kenny Garrett, and Roy Hargrove. Hargrove's hard bop, R&B, and funk were particularly influential. All of this inspired her to compose for 'Royalty For Real'.
For the recordings at EastSide Sound studio in New York, she engaged keyboard virtuoso James Hurt (Abbey Lincoln, Sherman Irby, and Jacques Schwarz-Bart), bassist Gerald Cannon (Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner), and drummer Willie Jones III (Milt Jackson, Arturo Sandoval). Cannon and Willie Jones III were part of Roy Hargrove's band for seven years. Additionally, Alt frequently played with Hargrove at jam sessions around the world.
Except for the composition 'Roy Allen,' which Hargrove wrote for his father, and 'The Nearness of You,' which Hargrove often played, Susanne Alt composed all the tracks. 'Rue Lepic' echoes the nostalgia for the Parisian street, inspired by Hargrove’s standard 'Strasbourg/St. Denis.' The hard bop and funk influences dominate further in 'Classic Cats' and 'Royalty For Real.' James Hurt shines with infectious Fender Rhodes and piano play on 'Roy Allen,' 'Rue Lepic,' and 'Classic Cats.'
Fans of Hargrove can look forward to this soulful album, imbued with Susanne Alt's spirit, which evokes many facets of his music in the same spirit.
on 18/05/2024