Raised in Olympia, Washington, Alexander first learned piano at age six, then clarinet at nine, and moved to alto sax at 12. With a strong classical background, Alexander became obsessed with jazz as a student at Indiana University and converted to tenor. Transferring to William Paterson College in New Jersey, he studied with Harold Mabern, Joe Lovano, and Rufus Reid. "The people I listened to in college are still the cats that are influencing me today," says Alexander. "Monk, Dizzy, Sonny Stitt, Clifford Brown, Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, Joe Henderson--the legacy left by Bird and all the bebop pioneers, that language and that feel, that's the bread and butter of everything I do. George Coleman remains a big influence because of his very hip harmonic approach, and I'm still listening all the time to Coltrane because I feel that, even in the wildest moments of his mid- to late-Sixties solos, I can find these little kernels of melodic information and find ways to employ them in my own playing."

Settling in Chicago initially, Alexander impressed organist Charles Earland, with whom he made a number of trio recordings, including his debut as sideman, Unforgettable (1991, Muse). In 1991, Alexander placed second behind Joshua Redman in the Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. He soon moved to New York, performing at The Blue Note, The Village Vanguard, Sweet Basil's, Small's, and The Iridium, appearing with Cecil Payne, Harold Mabern, Eddie Henderson, Larry Willis, Kenny Barron, Freddie Cole, Pat Martino, and Cedar Walton, among others. After his first release as a leader, Straight Up (Delmark, 1992), he went on to record with CrissCross and Alfa, and formed the hard bop sextet, One for All, with Jim Rotondi, Steve Davis, Joe Farnsworth, Peter Washington, and Dave Hazeltine.

Pianist Harold Mabern has remained Alexander's most consistent collaborator and mentor, and appears on his recent release, the highly acclaimed Nightlife in Tokyo (Milestone, 2003). Wrote Ted Panken in his liner notes, "[Alexander] plays with a minimum of fuss and a maximum of inspiration, uncorking a series of immaculately executed statements of considerable invention and tonal authority... he creates clear melodic lines, slaloms through the gnarliest harmonic sequences, deftly manipulates timbre, and swings incessantly."

Whether with his sextet or quartet, Alexander describes his musical mission as "assembling good musicians that I'm comfortable playing with, getting quality material--a combination of originals and standards and perhaps some new arrangements on standard tunes--and trying to make the kind of a recording that a jazz fan or musician can put on and enjoy listening to from start to finish."

For his three-night stand at the Dakota, Alexander will be joined by Mike LeDonne, Peter Bernstein, and long-time collaborator Joe Farnsworth.

LeDonne is a veteran organist/pianist whose credentials are as impeccable as his virtuosity. A graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music and recently appointed to the faculty of Julliard, LeDonne has played and/or recorded with legends past and present, including Benny Goodman, Buddy Tate, Art Farmer, James Moody, Dizzy Gillespie, Stanley Turrentine, Charles McPherson, Sonny Rollins, and Milt Jackson, and has accompanied Ernestine Anderson, Etta Jones, and Annie Ross. Selected as a favorite pianist by Oscar Peterson, LeDonne recently has appeared or recorded with Benny Golson, Ron Carter, and Jimmy Cobb, as well as Eric Alexander.

Peter Bernstein is one of the fastest rising guitar stars on the New York scene. He studied jazz at Rutgers University with Kenny Barron and at The New School in New York City with Jim Hall. He has performed with such notables as Joshua Redman, Lou Donaldson, Tom Harrell, Joe Lovano, Roy Hargrove, Larry Goldings, Maceo Parker, Javon Jackson, Lee Konitz, Jack McDuff, Charles Earland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Eric Alexander, and has recorded four CDs as a leader for Criss Cross. Bernstein's melodic, bluesy style and warm tone reflect the influences of Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, and Charlie Christian, as well as mentor Jim Hall.

First-call drummer Joe Farnsworth's "sticking and footwork packs as much of a wallop as any young firebrand... [while] precision and restraint are characteristic of his approach to the instrument" (David Orthmann, All About Jazz). A college classmate of Eric Alexander, Farnsworth has appeared on many of the saxist's recordings, including Nightlife in Tokyo. Of his collaborations with Alexander, David Orthmann wrote, "On scores of tracks spanning nearly two dozen recordings, he simultaneously responds to and stimulates the tenor saxophonist while tending to the music as a whole... Not unlike Max Roach in his ability to combine furious playing with structural cogency, Farnsworth audaciously travels around the set, establishing unifying ideas without interrupting the barrage of strokes."

The current rendition of the Eric Alexander Quartet promises nothing short of spontaneous combustion over three nights at the Dakota. For tickets, see www.dakotacooks.com or call (612) 332-1010. From Minneapolis, the Eric Alexander Quartet moves on to Vancouver, BC for a live recording at the Cellar, September 16-17 (http://cellarjazz.com/cal.php). For more information about Eric Alexander including his extensive discography, see www.ericalexanderjazz.com