rhythmic play of his homeland. My America offers up a dozen compositions, most of which are associated in one way or another with the American experience. From the cowboy songs that captured his fancy as a boy ("Don't Fence Me In") to the urban grooves of James Brown and Marvin Gaye, the album is a portrait of his ongoing love with the music of this country. There are guest vocalists on four of the selections, underscoring how smartly this set was paced. The eight-piece ensemble finds the rhythmic heart of each tune, with Alexander soloing with sly aplomb (he quotes "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" in Brown's "Sex Machine," which is followed by Gaye's own "Sexual Healing"). --David Greenberger  (less)