This show took place on February 7, 2026. See what’s coming up at The Jazz Room.
Alex Dean, one of Canada’s foremost jazz saxophonists, has been a mainstay of the Canadian music scene for many years. He has played and recorded with Gil Evans, Kenny Wheeler, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Phil Nimmons, the Dave McMurdo Jazz Orchestra, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, and the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Alex held the tenor saxophone chair with Rob McConnell’s Grammy award winning Boss Brass and, the Juno award winning Rob McConnell Tentet. He has collaborated extensively on C.D’s as side man with Canadian and American Jazz Artists. The Alex Dean Quartet/Quintet recordings include the newly released At this Point (November 2010), Dreamsville, Both Feet, and Kaitlyn’s Waltz. Kaitlyn’s Waltz was voted Best Jazz CD of 1994 by The Jazz Report and one of the Top Ten Jazz CD releases by New York’s Village Voice. He was also voted Jazz Musician of the Year by the Toronto Star.
A three baritone lineup seems a little odd, but check out this swinging version of Gerry Mulligan’s “Walkin’ Shoes”
Personnel:
Alex Dean-baritone saxophone
Shirantha -baritone saxophone
Chris Gale-baritone saxophone
Jeff McLeod-piano
Andrew Scott-drums
Morgan Childs-drums
Read their record Review:
Put It There BARI-ed Alive Cornerstone Records CRST CD 171 (cornerstonerecordsinc.com/pages/ cat171.html) !
Most jazz fans will remember Gerry Mulligan and Pepper Adams as two famous baritone sax players but otherwise this large full-throated instrument is usually consigned to the end of the saxophone line in a big band. But we now have BARI-ed Alive, a Toronto jazz sextet featuring Alex Dean, Shirantha Beddage and Chris Gale all playing the baritone saxophone, with Jeff McLeod on Hammond B3 organ, Andrew Scott on guitar and Morgan Childs on drums. Put it There is the new release from this group and contains nine original tunes all written by members of the band. The album begins with the high energy and quick tempos of Abraca-Pocus and Baritone Boogaloo which provide great grooves and some high-voltage solos. Blues for Owl is slower and bluesier with lots of feeling and a few growls in the solos. Turrentrane is (I assume) a play on the two tenor sax players Stanley Turrentine and John Coltrane and its beginning seems inspired by Smoke On the Water. The tunes are all fairly standard, and offer not surprises but many swinging delights. The “bari” sax is a remarkably expressive instrument and the team of Dean, Beddage and Gale swing hard and blow the heck out of all the tunes. Their rhythm section is also rock solid; McLeod gives us many tasty organ solos and Scott’s guitar intro to Don’t Call Me Victor is simply gorgeous. May I suggest their next album be titled: Three Baris, No Waiting?
Parkinson The WholeNote Volume 31 Issue 3 January/February