Jacob Do: First Chorus

BENT RIVER RECORDS (RELEASED NOVEMBER 6, 2026

It seems that one of the few Canadian exports unaffected by the recent trade wars is jazz recordings! The latest addition to the growing list of Canadian jazz musicians making their way into the U.S. market, thanks to Canadian record companies, is tenor saxophonist Jacob Do. First Chorus is billed as a celebration of the jazz tradition from the perspective of a young Canadian saxophonist carrying that tradition forward. The tradition Do and his fellow Canadians — alto saxophonist Donny Kennedy, pianist Andre White, bassist Paul Johnston and drummer Dane Laing — seem most comfortable celebrating is the classic saxophone battle of the 1950s and 1960s. As this recording demonstrates, what began as cutting contests in the 1930s and 1940s, with two saxophonists challenging one another, has evolved into a more collaborative process. Except for Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust” and Cole Porter’s “All of You,” the remaining six tunes open with Do and Kennedy playing in tight unison before exchanging solos. The selections range from an up-tempo romp through “That’s Earl Brother,” a bop tune written by Dizzy Gillespie, Gil Fuller and Ray Brown, to a classic reading of Cedar Walton’s “The Highest Mountain” and the soulful, funky Do original “Hairy Ed,” dedicated to Eddie Harris. Other Do originals include the fast-paced, shifting rhythms of “Flow,” featuring equally fast and furious saxophone solos and a blazing drum break; “La Grande Sortie,” based on the chord changes of “After You’ve Gone”; and “Time-Lee,” a contrafact based on “All of Me” dedicated to Lee Konitz. Whatever the groove, the two saxophonists display their technical prowess, backed by the equally adept White, Johnston and Laing. Kennedy sits out on “Stardust,” allowing Do to wax poetic over this classic ballad, while Canadian jazz veteran P.J. Perry joins the group for a masterful solo on “All of You.” As with the classic saxophone battles of the past — including those featuring Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin and Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis, and Dexter Gordon and Wardell Gray — the real winner here is the listener who appreciates musicians steeped in the jazz tradition of explosive solos, crisp rhythms and compelling compositions.

BOTTOM LINE: Canadian tenor saxophonist Jacob Do makes his recording debut with First Chorus. Joined by alto saxophonist Donny Kennedy, Do delivers an expertly played session that evokes the classic saxophone battles of the past. Everything about First Chorus — the solos, the rhythm section and the balance of originals and standards — is decidedly “in the pocket.”