Label: Weirdear Records, 2024

Personnel - Alex LoRe: alto and C melody saxophone; Thomas Morgan: bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Saxophonist and composer Alex LoRe delivers a cool-toned tradition-leaning album with Motivity, where he showcases a musically inclusive spirit, paying tribute to one of his mentors, the late saxophonist Lee Konitz. Assisted by the powerful rhythm section of bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Johnathan Blake, LoRe navigates his originals, one composition by Konitz, and three standards with grace and spontaneous ease.

The album kicks off with Schertzinger/Mercer’s “I Remember You”, executed with an openhearted, Konitz-like subjectivity, effortless swinging feel, and engaging improvisational exchanges. The influence of Konitz is unmistakable on the inquisitive “Like-Lee”, where fluid motion allows space for classical lyricism to emerge within the jazz lines. The piece is propelled by skittering drums and vamping bass processions. Konitz’s own “Thingin’” is a richly harmonic post-bop piece that, following a dedicated saxophone intro, offers an upfront bass solo as well as spirited bar trades with the drummer.

“A Weaver of Dreams” radiates eloquent melodicism in its fairly straight-ahead setting, making for a fine companion to “’Tis Autumn”, which ascends with a heavenly melody, softly propelled by brushed drums. While these artfully executed standards sound familiar, the more striking moments come from the originals, particularly “Free” and “Overly Sentimental”. The former is a lush, spaced-out spontaneous piece that invites listeners to explore its curious, enigmatic tones. The latter, a contrafact on “I’m Getting Sentimental Over You”, swings infectiously, with LoRe overdubbing himself on C melody to create bop-ish polyphonic surprise.

LoRe brings a mature and thoughtful musical perspective to Motivity, and his tribute to Konitz feels genuine and well-crafted. However, one might wish for more original compositions and less standards. This impression should not be a problem for fans of Konitz, who may enjoy the stylistic nods paired with LoRe’s personal new views.

Favorite Tracks:
06 - ’Tis Autumn ► 07 - Free ► 08 - Overly Sentimental

Label: Whirlwind Recordings, 2023

Personnel - Alex LoRe: alto saxophone; Glenn Zaleski: piano; Desmond White: double bass; Allan Mednard: drums.

Saxophonist/composer Alex LoRe, who has been leaving his mark on projects by saxophonist Lucas Pino and pianists Marta Sanchez and Steven Feifke, reunites his intriguing Weirdear quartet, featuring pianist Glenn Zaleski, bassist Desmond White, and the sought-after drummer Allan Mednard. Succeeding to Karol (Challenge Records, 2019), the ensemble’s sophomore release is called Evening Will Find Itself, now out on the UK label Whirlwind Recordings.

LoRe charts a course all his own, pushing the envelope with ambiguity and inquisitive glance, which are important facets of his playing. Considering the case of “Stripes”, the album’s opener about the rigidness that is consuming our cultural consciousness: there’s enough harmonic richness and rhythmic detail in the ingenious combination of elements that define the fabric of this quartet. LoRe pronounces the main melody with absorbed beauty, segueing into a venerable improvised journey that brings his curious ideas to fruition. The comping provided by Zaleski is tastefully ornamented, and White’s unstoppable bass work toggles between pedals and enlivening motions.

“Face Unseen” has a propensity to meditation, and is derived from the inevitable association between technology and loneliness in our days. Judge for yourself those seamless variations graced with lyricism and dreamlike tones. “Silent Ship” kicks off with balladic restraint before establishing a 10-beat cycle bass groove traversed by saxophone lines that culminate in a multiphonic shout. There’s a gradual building of climax here.

“Fauxlosophy” is fantastically accented and imaginatively crafted with a resilient sense of tempo in its rhythm juxtapositions, but the most impressive piece is “Green”, a tribute to LoRe’s mentor, the saxophonist Bunky Green. The theme is mesmerizing, and the saxophone statement shaped with obtuse angles, pointy spikes, but also expressively beautiful melody. The tight-knit work in the back by Mednard and White brings perspective and cohesiveness to a piece that also includes a solo by Zaleski before the final head.

Three short narratives, titled “Radiance I, II and III”, highlight different members of the quartet in dynamic reciprocity, whereas “At Shore” is stylishly interwoven with a rubato kickoff, transient 3/4 passages with bowed bass at the center, and a 4/4 finale dipped in a spectacle of color.

The group navigates LoRe’s wondrous compositions with that kind of intuitive interplay that is only possible when a strong chemistry is present.