Rickey Woodard
Alto Sax Solo on
Easy Living

About

Rickey Woodard switches to alto saxophone for one chorus on Ralph Rainger's "Easy Living," one of the most intimate performances on his 1992 live album The Tokyo Express. At approximately 55 BPM over the 32-bar AABA form in F, the alto's brighter, more focused sound lends the ballad an almost vocal quality, each phrase shaped with care and emotional intention. As the first of two soloists, his single chorus reveals a different tonal palette than his tenor work, his unhurried phrasing placing him in the lineage of great ballad interpreters. The decision to play alto adds welcome variety to the album's program while demonstrating his fluency on a second instrument.

Rickey Woodard was 41 to 42 years old at the time.