Jesse Davis was all set for a professional football career when he broke his collar bone. Sidelined, he picked up the alto sax instead and hasn't looked back. After winning numerous awards as a music student, Davis formed his own quartet in the early '90s and has released a series of solid CDs over the past 10 years. Though still in his 30s, he fits into the long line of alto sax players -- Sonny Stitt and Cannonball Adderley come to mind -- who give soloing on hard bop, blues and ballads all the weight and attack of an offensive line, only with a lot more grace and delicacy.

While some jazz players fiddle with instrumentation or throw in the latest studio-contrived sounds to mask a scarcity of musical ideas, you won't find any artificial additives in Davis' work. Instead, he focuses on deepening the potential of the standard quartet's interaction. Though trumpeter Nicholas Payton, his fellow New Orleans peer and sometime collaborator, has gotten more press, Davis' groups are equally dynamic.

The stories that Davis tells with his alto sax may sound familiar, but they resonate with relevance. His lines search the melodic and harmonic possibilities with confidence and concentration. Davis never settles for easy resolutions or simple directions.

For this tour, Davis brings monster drummer Donald Edwards, who has recently appeared in Japan and released several outstanding works with his own quartet. Also joining the tour are Anthony Wonsey on piano and Reuben Rogers on bass, two in-demand players with fresh perspectives. Davis' strength and maturity has given the term "neo-bop" new intensity. The NFL's loss is jazz's gain.