CiTR

This is considered to be Clifford Jordan's debut album. His earlier appearance on the Blue Note label was a co-led two tenor saxophone session with John Gilmore. This rare recording has never had a domestic re-release but was first issued as Blue Note 1565 and called "Cliff Jordan". It features the very distinctive sound of Jordan's tenor saxophone with the young teen-aged trumpet sensation Lee Morgan on three tracks. Curtis Fuller on trombone and Jordan's high school classmate, the legendary alto saxophonist John Jenkins. Ray Bryant is on piano, Paul Chambers on bass and Arthur Taylor on drums. The first two tunes are without Morgan and then tune #3 is a composition by Lee and was his first recorded tune called "Ju-Ba". The full band is featured on the final two tunes, Jenkins reworking of Miles Davis' "Milestones" (the early version) and an up=tempo interpretation of one of the day's pop tunes called "Beyond The Blue Horizon". Clifford Jordan spread the chores out wisely and came up with a very representative album of New York Jazz from the mid 1950's. This fine recording deserves a domestic re-issue in stereo. It's a fine tribute to the artistry of the late Clifford Jordan, who passed away in 1993.