My Finest Hour (Ali Bey, 2014)
My Finest Hour is an excellent electric bass album by Detroit musician Ali Bey. Most of the album contains powerful jazz fusion with funk and rock elements, showcasing outstanding bass work by Ali Bey along with the fabulous drummer Timothy Omar Stroud and talented guitarist Larry Andrews.
The album opens with the jazz-rocking ‘“Dam” I Got A Toothache’ featuring impressive bass lines, rhythm and solo guitar, and creative drumming.
Next is the fiery ‘Larry and Ali’s Theme’ where drummer Timothy Omar Stroud delivers a stellar performance.
‘Sanktum Sanktorium’ is a piece that begins with great electronic keyboards added to the trio and grows into an intense climactic conclusion with a memorable bass solo.
‘Brooklyn Blues’ sounds like the pre-requisite smooth jazz saxophone piece found in many modern recordings.
The next piece is titled ‘Slugger.’ It starts with solo bass work that progresses into tasty funk jazz that presents a series of engaging bass and guitar improvisations.
The saxophone returns and dominates ‘Ace in the Hole.’
‘Joe Cool’ brings back the great funk jazz sound featuring the trio format.
The last piece is faster-paced, with a Weather Report vibe, featuring a different saxophone player, Raphael Statin, with a more attractive style.
The lineup on My Finest Hour features Larry Andrews on guitar, Timothy Omar Stroud on drums; and Ali Bey on bass.
The special guests are Raymond Davis Jr. on keyboards; Raphael Statin on soprano saxophone; Ladarrel Johnson on alto, tenor saxophone ; Larry Tucker on drums; and Eric Joe on drums.
Ali Bey was born on August 1, 1970 in Detroit, Michigan. He began playing bass guitar at age eleven. Ali’s musical development was strongly influenced by both parents. Ali’s father introduced him to jazz, blues, and R&B and his mother is a Gospel singer who encouraged him to study gospel.
Herbert Nicholson, a music teacher at Drew Middle School in Detroit, recognized the talent in Ali and directed him towards jazz. He grew up listening to all types of music and developed a special love for traditional jazz and jazz fusion.
Ali’s professional career began during high school with composer and arranger Harold McKinney. Ali played alongside Harold McKinney around the Detroit Metropolitan area for 2 years. After high school, Ali became friends with Marcus Blegrave, a well-known jazz trumpeter, and the two played jointly for two years. In 1989, Ali was introduced to Donald Walden, a jazz master and much-admired saxophonist who at the time was the jazz instructor for the City of Detroit Summer Youth program.
The Ali Bey Quartet was formed in 2009; featuring Timothy Stroud (drums), Larry Andrews (lead guitarist), Raphael Statin (saxophonist) and Ali Bey (bass guitarist).