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Heavy Hitters - That's What's Up - Blue chip ensemble casting, winging improvisations rooted in the blues, original compositions that add much to the repertoire of the modern jazz canon. - Blue chip ensemble casting, winging improvisations that are solidly rooted in the blues, original compositions that add much to the ever-expanding repertoire of the modern jazz canon! These are the components that you look for in ANY recording and they're all available in abundance on That's What's Up by the Heavy Hitters. - For many jazz listeners, it is exactly this: the capturing of real feelings and deep emotive performances that often makes live recordings such as this so special. For Mike LeDonne some of his favorite jazz recordings were recorded live. The playing is dependably great, of course, but there is a "lightning in a bottle" quality to many of these sides that manifest as new discoveries are made with every subsequent listen. - This recording was made at the end of a 2 week tour that ended up at one of the world's finest jazz clubs- Frankies. It was also my good friend and co-producer Cory Weeds' 50th birthday celebration. Full line up: Mike LeDonne on piano, Eric Alexander on tenor saxophone, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, Vincent Herring on alto saxophone, Alexander Claffy on bass, Kenny Washington on drums.