My history with Nashville saxophonist Don Aliquo goes back over thirty years to our days in Pittsburgh. Don Jr. if you’re from the Burgh (His father, legendary saxophonist Don Aliquo, Sr. is still gigging and playing beautifully at age 96!!!) has played with all the local legends like drummer Roger Humphries, B3 great Gene Ludwig, and saxophonist Eddie Fuschetti. Don relocated to Murfreesboro, TN to teach at Middle Tennessee State University in the early 2000s. After Katrina I spent two years under his tutelage while earning my Masters. In recent years we have been going back to Pittsburgh to play some dates with our dear friends bassist Paul Thompson and drummer Thomas Wendt.
The transcription I want to share is “Dawson Street Strut,” the lead off track from Don’s 2011 album Sun & Shield. The album features Rufus Reid on bass, Jim McNeely on piano, and Obed Calvaire on drums. It’s a really fun tune to play with some quirky challenges in the form. The solos are played over the form then AABA blowing changes. Don told me it was Obed’s idea in the studio to play over the form. McNeely takes the first solo and his entrance has always killed me! So great. Don’s solo begins at 2:18. His playing always has a great command of bebop and the blues and swings hard throughout. One of the highlights for me is the blues scale break coming into the blowing changes and the beautiful long line through that first A. Anyway, don’t want to say too much, hope you enjoy this performance as much as I do.
Download here:
Don Aliquo - Dawson Street Strut