Donovan Haffner - Alleviate (2025)

Saxophonist Donovan Haffner's musical journey began early. He was touring Italy and the UK with Moses Boyd when he was only 18 years old. He has gone on to play with Jay Phelps, Charlie Stacey and the Balimaya Project as well as graduating from the Royal Academy of Music.

Haffner now takes the next step in his career with his debut album, Alleviate, which showcases nine of his distinctive compositions. He describes his style as "a combination of the many influences and styles of jazz that I am passionate about." The album reflects his growth as an artist, with a fine balance of accessible melodies and improvisational creativity, demonstrating his maturity as a musician.

The album opens with "The Writer—Intro." This introduces pianist Jay Verma playing gentle melancholy phrases before being joined by guitarist Francisco Garcia de Paredes . This leads seamlessly into "The Writer," where they are joined by bassist Harry Pearce and drummer Harry Ling (aka Mackwood). This brings a change of pace as Haffner makes his entrance on alto saxophone. His melody leads to a solo which demonstrates his tone and clarity before handing off to de Paredes. This well-arranged piece has a level of complexity but remains accessible throughout.

The title track also benefits from a separate intro, this time featuring a bass solo before moving on to the main course. This brings a gently uplifting sax melody with a vintage feel. Solos from Haffner and De Paredes build in intensity, but they exercise restraint to bring out the nuances of the tune.

Two tracks especially highlight Haffner's abilities: the slower "Discovering The Changes" is a classy composition and his playing brings back the vintage feel, while "The Lone Wolf" shows his improvisational flair and mellow tone. Elsewhere, Verma excels as time signatures change and sax and guitar swap solos in "D Tune," and the bright "Step Aside" has Pearce and Ling building a great framework for ensemble interplay.

The band, who began playing together at Guildhall School of Music, effortlessly balances melody and groove in these accomplished arrangements which weave straight-ahead with contemporary. The blend of sax and guitar on melody lines adds a layer of personality alongside an occasional touch of melancholy. Haffner's attractive compositional style is matched by his agility on alto sax. Offering considerable maturity and poise, this album positions Haffner firmly in the rising star category.