Podiuminfo.nl/Festivalinfo.nl 06-05-16

Nederlands Jazz ArchiefEnglish:Saxophonist Susanne Alt hails from Germany but has long been a part of our jazz scene. Royalty For Real has the aura of a prestigious product. It is also a tribute to the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove. Hargrove was fond of participating in the after-hours sessions at North Sea Jazz; Alt occasionally played alongside him there – hence Bel Air Bop, one of the seven tracks. The saxophonist/flutist wrote five of the tracks herself, in addition to The Nearness of You and Roy Allan by Hargrove. The album was recorded in February 2022 in New York with pianist James Hurt, bassist Gerald Cannon, and drummer Willie Jones III. - Thanks Doron Ketelaars! Follow him on Twiiter and check out his Blog.This review has been posted on 2 sites: Podiuminfo.nl and Festivalinfo.nl.English:When you first beome acquainted with Susanne Alt from Amsterdam, it’s almost impossible not to make the comparison with the other Dutch female saxophonist. And although Candy Dulfer probably captivates the imagination more, we can count Susanne Alt in the established order of the world of funk. She has ben working with Fred Wesley (James Brown) and George Clinton, four studio albums and on live album. On her sixth and newest achievement, entiteld Saxify, she called in 30 musicians from the Netherlands (Gotcha!, hans Dulfer, Sven Hammond, Paul van Kessel, Zuco 103) and outside (Earth, Wind & Fire, Tower Of Poer, The S.O.S. Band, Parliament Funkadelic). The result is a particularly thrilling album, moreover produced by Alt herself.The excitement finds its way quickly on Saxify. Track number one, “Susie Saxophone” has the energy, passion and pleasure funk is known for. The track can be described as a carefully streamlined jam session. Also the album has a dose radio friendlyness, proven by the pushed forward single “Saxify”. The typical exciting vibe we also hear in “Open Up” with the beautiful vocals of Berenice van Leer and “Sugar Sweet”. Despite Susanne Alt calls in for many guests, she is capable of melting together all this input to a sultry work. It doesn’t get in her way to make it loungy “Angeldelic” and exotic “Tudo Bem”. On of the culminating points is the jazzy “You and me”, which has an extensive intro and unfolds into a particularly addictive laid-back funky track with a heavenly saxy climax.Since the 60’s funk can not be missed in our music scene. Saxify is a particularly exciting hommage to the style. Susanne above all succeeds in including several centuries into her compositions. Collaborating with George Clinton’s son and Parliament Funkadelic members Alt comes literally close to the source of funk. Altogether, Saxify is a party with enviable guest musicians, and you want to join. (Doron Ketelaars)