Alexander Claffy

Mike LeDonne [piano] Eric Alexander [tenor saxophone] Vincent Herring [alto saxophone] Jeremy Pelt [trumpet] Alexander Claffy [bass] Kenny Washington [drums] The Heavy Hitters is the eponymous album from a brand-new sextet featuring some of the most established players in the jazz game. The group is led by Mike LeDonne, New York-based bop pianist best known for his sideman work with Milt Jackson and Benny Golson. His partner in crime, Eric Alexander (himself a first-rate soloist working with Harold Mabern amongst others) was his quartet-mate on a well-received series of releases on the Venus label in the mid-2000’s. The two friends came together for this, their first sextet release as leaders, featuring a set composed entirely of originals. The music is built to tickle your mind, hit you in the heart and get your head swaying back and forth. The Heavy Hitters have been swinging hard their whole lives! It’s a true “Jazz” sound, recorded by some of the greatest jazz musicians of their generation. "Together, these two ‘Heavy Hitters’ offer us a smokin’ hot production featuring five other heavy-hitters and a product plush with crème de la crème of both musicianship and original compositions." - Dee Dee McNeil, Musical Memoirs