In 1964, tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan did the impossible, holding his own next to the remarkable Eric Dolphy on a European tour with Charles Mingus. Jordan’s distinctive tone and ability to play both inside and outside made him an underrated giant. Cliff Craft, his great Blue Note album from 1959, shows that he was already a major stylist five years earlier. Teamed with Art Farmer and Sonny Clark in a quintet, Jordan’s every note is full of soul, swing and subtle surprises. He never played the expected and, inspired by his sidemen, Jordan comes up with one fresh idea after another. Not content to merely follow Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan blazed his own original musical path, making Cliff Craft into one of the most memorable recordings of his career.
Musicians:
Art Farmer, trumpet
Cliff Jordan, tenor sax
Sonny Clark, piano
George Tucker, bass
Louis Hayes, drums
Selections:
1. Laconia
2. Soul-Lo Blues
3. Cliff Craft
4. Confirmation
5. Sophisticated Lady
6. Anthropology