Jazz group One For All is set to release their 15th project “Incorrigible” on April 6 for Jazz Legacy Productions.
One for All, which consists of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander, pianist David Hazeltine, trumpeter Jim Rotondi, trombonist Steve Davis, bassist John Webber and drummer Joe Farnsworth, replicate the sound of the quintessential ’50s-’60s Blue Note vibe, of which fans may relate to the classic Art Blakey & the Jazz Messengers recordings.
According to a news release, the origins of One For All go back to Auggie’s, a jazz club on New York’s Upper West Side near the Columbia University campus where drummer Farnsworth held down a regular gig. The other members joined later at different times.
Although they hadn’t officially named the band, One For All members began playing together as a complete unit at Auggie’s as early as 1995. According to their bio, they first documented their kindred hookup on Steve Davis’ sextet outing for the Criss Cross label, “Dig Deep” (1996). The official band name eventually came from a Steve Davis tune, the title track of Art Blakey’s final recording “One For All” (1990).
One For All members continue to do side gigs and recording solo projects. Davis (who debuted as a leader on JLP last year with “Eloquence”) plays in the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Alumni Big Band, Jimmy Heath’s big band and Benny Golson’s New Jazztet. Alexander works with pianist Harold Mabern and guitarist Pat Martino while also recording prolifically as a leader. Webber has performed with other notables such as Johnny Griffin, Etta Jones, Tommy Flanagan and Milt Jackson and continues to work with drummer Jimmy Cobb and pianist Hank Jones. Farnsworth works with the Cedar Walton trio and with tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders. Hazeltine and Rotondi have also worked in a variety of sideman settings while releasing several recordings as leaders.