Ralph Lalama

Award winning veteran tenorist Ralph Lalama came out the generation of hard driving muscular toned tenor saxophonists of the 70s’ big band scene. Starting out with Woody Herman then to Buddy Rich he still plays as a core member in the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra (via Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra of the 80s).

During the world pandemic of 2020/21 a few vocabularies were invented and “Staycation” (meaning having vacation by staying home) is one of them. Lalama and his wife singer Nicole Pasterak and Lalma’s friend and colleague trumpeter Joe Magnarelli with his organist wife Akiko Tsuruga got together in the studio February last year to create this album filled with artistic energy they have harnessed by “staycationing”

PERSONNEL:

• Ralph Lalama (tenor saxophone)
• Joe Magnarelli (trumpet)
• Akiko Tsuruga (Hammond B3)
• Clifford Barbaro (drums)
• Nicole Pasternak Lalama (vocals)

Recorded February 2021

TRACKS:

• 01 CECIL’S BRIDGE
• 02 STAYCATION
• 03 STUTTER STEPS
• 04 I COULD NOT COMPARE YOU
• 05 THADITUDE
• 06 DEEP IN A DREAM
• 07 MAKE ME AN OFFER I COULDN’T REFUSE
• 08 GOOD TROUBLE
• 09 THE LAMP IS LOW