Dominican-American alto saxophonist Alfredo Colón has served valuably as a sideman and collaborator to some of the biggest names in NYC jazz, like Aaron Parks, William Parker, Henry Threadgill and noted up-and-comer Christopher Hoffman. Now, Colón firmly establishes himself as an up-and-comer himself with his enchanting first date as a leader.
Blood Burden (June 14, 2024, Out of Your Head Records) will make heads turn because this saxophonist makes his mark right away as a capable musician, composer and bandleader. He put together a quartet for his first outing, filled with other names who will likely soon become familiar, too: bassist Steve Williams, drummer Connor Parks and pianist Lex Korten.
Darius Jones and Threadgill have been cited as influences, but some echoes of Kenny Garrett can be heard as well, all of this distilled into a highly personal style, with a controlled, impactful vibrato he uses at critical moments of a solo.
Above we are premiering the second single from this upcoming album, the deep album closer “Doomknocker.” Don’t be fooled by the title, “Doomknocker” is a song about compassion, symbolic of the compassion in Colón’s father’s refusal of his own father’s order to kill a bird. After a sensitive piano solo from Korten, Colón unfastens a passionate articulation, his pacing and modulation showing an abundance of nuance, particularly in how he is able to take his flight down for a softened landing.
Pre-order/order Blood Burden from Bandcamp.
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