Alone

by Wayne Escoffery (Smoke Sessions)

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Alone
by Wayne Escoffery
Label: Smoke Sessions
Recorded on April 23, 2024, at Sear Sound Studio C, New York City
Released: August 30, 2024
★★★★☆

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Wayne Escoffery’s Alone is a striking portrait of isolation, both personal and musical, born from a difficult chapter in the tenor saxophonist's life. Reflecting on loss—of relationships, friends, and even the temporary use of his instrument due to injury—Escoffery delivers an introspective, cathartic work that channels emotion with the precision and soulfulness his listeners have come to expect. Yet, rather than filling the space with complexity or bravado, Alone thrives in restraint, building a sonic landscape that offers solace, introspection, and, ultimately, healing.

The album’s minimalism is its core strength, inviting the listener into a quiet, reflective atmosphere. This meditative quality is shared by Escoffery’s ensemble—Gerald Clayton on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Carl Allen on drums—whose sensitive interplay allows Escoffery’s rich, lyrical tone to remain at the center of the experience. The opening track, Moments With You, sets the mood with its delicate balladry, giving the impression of intimacy that’s more about connection than romance. The title track, Alone, carries a similarly subdued vibe, evoking the tension and melancholy of solitude while never becoming overwrought.

The heart of Alone lies in its emotional back-and-forth, as Escoffery oscillates between yearning and reflection. Tracks like Harold Land’s Rapture offer a more spirited recollection of love, while The Ice Queen, one of the album’s standout originals, shimmers with a cool, modal intensity, providing a contrast that adds depth to the overall narrative.

One of the more emotionally charged moments comes with Escoffery’s rendition of The Shadow of Your Smile, where Clayton’s ominous opening is met by some of Escoffery’s most rugged playing on the album. The contrast between light and shadow is deftly managed, leading into a brighter stretch with Carter’s composition, Blues For D.P., which swings lightly but carries profound weight. Here, Escoffery’s saxophone feels like a release, as if he’s shaking off the emotional heaviness of the preceding tunes.

Two standards close the album, with Victor Young’s Stella By Starlight and Buddy Johnson’s Since I Fell For You providing a dignified and hopeful ending. Escoffery’s wry, playful improvisation on the latter suggests a musician who, while having come through a period of pain, has found solid ground again.

In Alone, Escoffery offers not just a study of loneliness but also an exploration of how music can serve as a path to healing. His interplay with Clayton, Carter, and Allen is thoughtful, understated, and emotionally resonant—this is not an album of fireworks, but rather a quiet reflection on life’s quieter moments. It’s the kind of work that lingers long after the final note fades.

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Track Listing:
Moments With You; Alone; Rapture; The Ice Queen; The Shadow of Your Smile; Blues for D.P.; Stella by Starlight; Since I Fell For You.

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Personnel
Wayne Escoffery • tenor saxophone
Gerald Clayton • piano
Ron Carter • bass
Carl Allen • drums

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