Drummer Alvin Queen keeps the beat “Mighty Long Way”

New York-born, Swiss-based drummer/bandleader Alvin Queen will release a new CD on June 30 entitled “Mighty Long Way,” a no-nonsense, straight-ahead 10-track recording of original compositions and jazz standards by Oscar Peterson, Horace Silver, Ray Charles, and Wayne Shorter, with an unstoppable band featuring alto saxophonist Jesse Davis, trumpeter Terell Stafford, organist Mike LeDonne, guitarist Peter Bernstein, bassist Elias Bailey and Neil Clarke (Randy Weston’s longtime sideman) on percussion.
Queen, noted for the past four decades as one the most formidable drummers in jazz, has played with every major superstar – from Peterson and Silver, to Wynton and Branford Marsalis and George Benson. He has released a number of critically acclaimed recordings as a leader, mostly on his Nilva label, including, “In Europe,” “Glidin’ and Stridin’,” and “A Day in Holland.” He also released “Lenox and Seventh” (with Lonnie Smith), “I Ain’t Looking at You” (Enja/Justin Time), “Jammin’ Uptown” (Just a Memory) and “Nishville” (Moju). Queen lives in Geneva, Switzerland, but travels frequently to the U.S. for jazz concerts and studio dates.