Grand Hotel Director Has New Jazz CD

Alex Graham’s new Jazz CD can be found at Grand Hotel.

Just released nationally, the music CD of Alex Graham and the Grand Hotel Orchestra, entitled “Grand, Live in New York,” is being played on radio stations across the county. The CD was recorded last year at the New York City premier jazz club, Smoke, where Mr. Graham once performed, and features vocalist John Boutte.

The CD features standards, traditional jazz, and rhythm and blues and includes nine of Mr. Graham’s original arrangements.

The Grand Hotel Music Director, who plays alto saxophone, has also released a new CD of his own, “The Good Life,” which is available exclusively at Grand Hotel until late November 22, when it, too, will be released nationally.

“It’s straight-ahead jazz quartet music,” he said of “The Good Life,” and features Rodey Whitaker, director of jazz studies at Michigan State University and a former bass player with the Lincoln Jazz Center Orchestra.

Several Graham orginals are included, like “Explosion,” as are a couple of standards, such as “The Good Life” and “I Had The Craziest Dream.”

The music was recorded several years ago, but the recording company went out of business just before the CD was to be released. Mr. Graham secured the master recordings and Origin Records of Seattle became his new label.

“I’ve always been really pleased with the music on this record,” he said. “I’m happy that Origin Records gave me a chance to put it out there. I’m grateful to Grand Hotel for making it available to my fans.”