Cleveland Time (out now via Cleveland Time Records), acclaimed saxophonist Matthew Alec leads a new crew of musicians in his jazz fusion band Matthew Alec & The Soul Electric.

Whilst Alec heads the group with his skillful saxophone work in the album’s eight tracks, also joining him are bandmates: keyboardist and vocalist Brian Woods, bassist Jared Lees, guitarist Steven Forrest Sanders, percussionist Jeremiah ‘The Franchise’ Hawkins and drummer Leon Henault.

1. 'Give What You Take'
2. 'Baby You Got Me' (feat. Brian Woods)
3. 'Cleveland Time' (feat. Tom Bones Malone, Minus the Alien & Jared Lees)
4. 'Never With You'
5. 'Enigma Man' (feat. Steven Forrest Sanders)
6. 'Blues for McCoy' (feat. Tim Coyne)
7. 'Sunshine On Prospect'
8. 'Cleveland Time' (feat. Tom Bones Malone, Minus the Alien & Jared Lees) (Radio Edit)

Opening on the upbeat and funky 'Give What You Take' they back that up with the oh-so smoothly lush, R&B flow of 'Baby You Got Me' (feat. Brian Woods), the masterful, full on deep horn and percussion work of the title track 'Cleveland Time' (feat. Tom Bones Malone, Minus the Alien & Jared Lees), and then we get the slow roll, balladeering shuffle of 'Never With You.'

With the entirety of Cleveland Time having been recorded in two sessions with Cleveland-based producer Jim Stewart, with a lengthy pause between the sessions due to the coronavirus pandemic, next up is the mid-tempo R&B hipsway of 'Enigma Man' (feat. Steven Forrest Sanders) which is followed by the gently frenetic 'Blues for McCoy' (feat. Tim Coyne), the beautiful evensong of 'Sunshine On Prospect,' with the album rounding out on the radio edit of 'Cleveland Time.'

The crew originally formed while Alec performed in a James Brown tribute band, where he connected with the other local musicians. “I had wanted to do some type of jazz fusion project for a long time,” Alec said. “I’m a huge fan of Brecker Brothers, David Sanborn - ’70s and ’80s jazz fusion. I wanted to do a project like that.”

It builds off of Alec’s experience performing both jazz and funk with his former band Winslow, which he toured with for about a decade, he said. After his time in Winslow, Alec performed around town for hire, and decided he wanted to make his own band, which is when he brought the group together.

Beyond the band’s core members, Alec managed to land a star for The Soul Electric’s first album. Trombonist Tom “Bones” Malone is a performer best-known for his roles performing in the “Saturday Night Live” band, the house band for the “Late Show with David Letterman” and in “The Blues Brothers” band.

Official Purchase Links

www.matthewalec.com

Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric @ Instagram

Matthew Alec and The Soul Electric @ YouTube