Madeline, Alex
Lyonhill Records, 2024, CD
Instrument: Saxophone
Issue: 30.2
Jazz Ruler Type: Pop+Jazz
Performance: 4
Sound: 3
Score: 76
O’s Notes: French saxophonist Alex Madeline now resides in New York City where he released his debut recording Unexpected Direction featuring vocalist Sami Stevens. Simon Moullier (vibes), Michael Valeanu (g), Chris McCarthy (p), Clovis Nicolas (b), and Clemens Grassmann (d) flesh out the band. They open with delightful strings from Sean Lin & Josh Henderson on violin, Kayla Williams (viola), and Julia Hernderain (cello) on “Direction” before Stevens graces us. The string laden large ensemble surrounds her beautiful vocals throughout the set. Nicolas and Madeline add a heartfelt solos on “Balance”; frank narration on “OR3” describes our planet Earth; Stevens’ voice on “Voyage” blends seamlessly with Madeline and Valeanu. We also enjoyed Alex’s warm sax on “Thoughts”.
Publicist: Two for the Show Media
