Fifth Quadrant

Logic may dictate that a four-part entity cannot have a fifth quadrant. But on Fifth Quadrant, acclaimed saxophonist Eric Alexander makes the impossible feel inevitable. Alexander’s new quartet brings together four masterful musicians and longtime friends: Cyrus Chestnut on piano, Nat Reeves on bass, and Carl Allen on drums. Their first studio recording as a quartet captures a rare musical chemistry—joyful, soulful, combustible and deeply intuitive, where performer and listener connect on a level beyond the intellectual. The album marks Alexander’s debut as a leader for Smoke Sessions Records, extending a longstanding relationship with the label and Smoke Jazz Club. Alexander has previously recorded and performed extensively at the club, including the 2025 release Split Decision with Vincent Herring, albums with the collective One for All, and numerous dates with his mentor and longtime collaborator, pianist Harold Mabern. That history resonates throughout Fifth Quadrant. Chestnut shares Alexander’s expansive appetite for music across genres and generations, while Reeves brings a deep connection to the Mabern/Alexander tradition. Reeves and Allen also share a history dating to their work with Jackie McLean. The album’s program moves freely across the American Songbook, pairing Alexander originals with standards and unexpected selections. The title track is a hard-charging minor blues born from an overtone exercise Alexander used with his students. Chestnut’s soulful arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Ribbon in the Sky” transforms the pop classic into a tender yet scintillating quartet performance. Other highlights include the wistful Rodgers & Hammerstein standard “It Might as Well Be Spring,” the emotionally charged “Don’t Misunderstand,” and “One Hundred Ways,” Quincy Jones’s sophisticated 1981 hit. Alexander’s “Newk” pays tribute to Sonny Rollins, while “Bit by Bit” carries a more personal story, honoring his fiancée’s father. The album closes with “Be,” a four-note musical statement of Alexander’s philosophy: “It’s just to be. Let life lead you, just be.” The CD and digital editions also feature two extended live performances recorded at Smoke Jazz Club during a celebration of Mabern’s 90th birthday: Mongo Santamaria’s “Afro Blue” and Stanley Turrentine’s “Sugar,” both staples of the Alexander/Mabern repertoire. Nearly seven years after Mabern’s passing, Fifth Quadrant does not attempt to recreate that irreplaceable musical relationship. Instead, Alexander has found a new quartet whose chemistry evokes something of that same sense of trust, freedom and shared purpose. “My music and personal relationship with Harold can never be replicated,” Alexander says. “But even at this early stage, this quartet feels like a very similar prospect, and I'm really enthusiastic about it.”

Number of Discs: 1

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