*** Clifford Jordan ***

[Rooster_Ties]

I don't have enough Clifford Jordan, I'm rapidly discovering. My favorite of his (of what I've heard so far) is "Glass Bead Games", with Stanley Cowell/Cedar Walton, Sam Jones/Bill Lee, and Billy Higgins. It's on Strata East, and totally has that "Strata East" vibe thing goin' on.

Two questions:

1. How is Jordan's "In the World"?? - also on Stata East, from 1969. I've never seen, nor even heard of this album (until tonight), but the line-up (according to AMG) is Don Cherry(!), Julian Priester, Wynton Kelly, Richard Davis and/or Wilbur Ware, and Albert "Tootie" Heath". Damn, Don Cherry, really!!??? What is this album like????

2. How is Jordon on Andrew Hill's "Shades"?? - on Soul Note, from 1986. This is one of the few Hill CD's I don't yet own (only because I haven't found it for a reasonable price yet). I've heard nothing but good things about this one, so I obviously need to break down and get it, even if it has to be at full price.

I really don't have very much Jordan, really, and welcome any suggestions you might have. Thanks!!

[brownie]

If you can find 'In the World' get it, it's as interesting as the lineup suggests.

Other Clifford Jordan albums you should investigate are his three Blue Note

albums including the recently reissued RVG with John Gilmore 'Blowin' in from

Chicago'. Jordan also recorded strong albums for Jazzland/Riverside. I like

'Starting Time' (with Kenny Dorham).

Other highly recommended Jordan albums are the various records he made for Steeplechase

with the Magic Triangle (Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy Higgins).

Never heard the Hill/Jordan SoulNote.

[BFrank]

I highly recommend the "Magic Triangle" disks - "Highest Mountain", "Firm Roots", the "On Stage" series or "Night of the Mark 7"(which is listed as the Clifford Jordan Quartet). These are all really solid dates.

"Shades" is great, too.

Get 'em all! B)

Edited March 31, 2003 by BFrank

[SEK]

If I had to be limited to having just one Clifford Jordan recording, it would definitely be his "Glass Bead Games" CD (originally released on 2 LPs). I can listen to that any time. It's soulful, uplifting, reflective, and resonant - one of my very favorite recordings.

I also often play my old, battered "In the World", now copied onto a CDR. It is a super group that includes Julian Priester, Kenny Dorham, Wynton Kelly, Roy Haynes, Wilbur Ware, Richard Davis, Ed Blackwell, Roy Haynes, and "Tootie" Heath. Don Cherry makes prominent contributions to the tracks that he plays on. This unique Clifford Jordan session deserves to be reissued on CD. (A somewhat similar-sounding session was "Tootie" Heath's "Kawaida" that included Cherry and Blackwell [but not Jordan] in an octet).

Other Clifford Jordan favorites include "Night of the Mark 7" which is like part of "Glass Bead Games" done live by his "Magic Triangle" group; "On Stage, Vol. 1", my other favorite by Jordan's "Magic Triangle"; Richard Davis's dazzling "Now's the Time (Recorded Live at Jazz City)" (another one of my very favorite recordings.); and that Andrew Hill recording, "Shades" is a nice one too. I also enjoy his recordings with Mingus, especially on "Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop" and some of the concerts recorded with Eric Dolphy.

I've never been able to get very enthused about that Blue Note session with John Gilmore, though I've enjoyed Gilmore elsewhere, especially with Sun Ra. And I've somehow bypassed Clifford Jordan's other Blue Note recordings as well as those sessions now available on OJC. So much music, so little time...

[EKE BBB]

Originally posted by SEK

I also enjoy his recordings with Mingus, especially on "Right Now: Live at the Jazz Workshop" and some of the concerts recorded with Eric Dolphy.

Great playing in those concerts! Town Hall is a great one!

Another "curious" and IMO good CD is Carmen McRae´s "Carmen sings Monk" (Bluebird, 1988). Jordan playing both tenor and soprano. Also featured Charlie Rouse. Most of the lyrics added to Monk tunes were composed by Jon Hendricks

[mikeweil]

I highly recommend "Repetition" on Soul Note SN 1084 CD, a date from 1984 with Barry Harris, Walter Booker and Vernel Fournier. I agree that Jordan is taken for granted most of the times and his individuality not recognized.

The remarks about Mapleshade's "silly audiphile claims" are too harsh: Jordan's "Live at Ethell's" received one the most prestigious awards among American high end circles. These CDs are about the only ones that sound like an acoustic band (with minimum amplification, that is) in front of you, which may not be to everyones taste. The graphics are indeed way below the level of their sound.

Edited July 11, 2004 by mikeweil

[Tom in RI]

You can't go wrong with any of the the Art Farmer dates from the '80's that featured Clifford Jordan on Soul Note and Contemporary. Another date on Strata East that I tend to reach for more than "In the World" is a live date called "Reasons in Tonality" which features Jordan along side George Coleman and Julius Watkins. I think it was primarily drummer Keno Duke's date.

Tom in RI (formerly Happyguy-99)

[SEK]

Wow! I never heard of "Reasons in Tonality". I'll have to look for that one.

And thanks for reminding me about "Repetition". I haven't listened to that nice session in quite a while.

[danasgoodstuff]

I saw a Clifford Jordan LP at the record show this Sun. for $25, on Atl sub Vortex(?) with John Patton on one side, looked like an avant/soul jazz mix. I shoulda bit?

[J.A.W.]

It's probably this album:

Soul Fountain - Vortex 2010

Recorded in NYC on October 12 and 25, 1966

Personnel:

Jimmy Owens - trumpet, fluegelhorn

Julian Priester - trumpet

Clifford Jordan - tenor saxophone, flute, piccolo

Frank Owen - piano, organ

John Patton - organ

Ben Tucker - bass

Bob Cranshaw - bass, electric bass

Bobby Durham - drums

Billy Higgins - drums

Ray Barretto - conga

Joe Wholetz - bongo

Orestes Vilato - percussion

Tracks,

recorded on 10/12:

Señor Blues

Eeh Bah Lickey Doo

Retribution

recorded on 10/25:

T.N.T.

Caribbean Cruise

I've Got a Feeling for You

H.N.I.C.

I Got You (I Feel Good)

I've never heard it, so I can't comment; the AMG rating is **: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Ajnh1z85a8yvo

[Chuck Nessa]

If you like early Jordan, I think the best is on Cliff Craft and Horace's Further Explorations. For more like Glass Bead Games try the Muse/32Jazz/Savoy/? The Adventurer. It is a beautiful date with Tommy Flanagan, Bill Lee and Grady Tate.

Edited April 2, 2003 by Chuck Nessa

[Jim R]

Hmm... I have a lot of Clifford Jordan, including some obscure stuff, but for some reason I've never picked up "Glass Bead Games". If it's similar to "The Adventurer", I'm going to have to remedy that.

Anybody heard "Hello Hank Jones"? (This was one of those "direct to disc" LP's, circa 1980)

[Larry Kart]

A very strong second-stage (I guess) Jordan quartet album is "Bearcat" (Riverside, now OJC) with a terrific bass-drum team -- Teddy Smith and J.C. Moses. There are some Jordan solos here that have an unusual feel even for him, in that they sound (and certainly are) improvised and swing like mad but also have a kind of superior R&B blues-ballad melodic coherence, as though there were no break between the line and the blowing.

[paul secor]

Two of my favorite Clifford Jordan recordings are Cliff Craft and his collaboration with Ran Blake, Masters from Different Worlds, on Mapleshade - a fascinating record.

Here's a Clifford Jordan anecdote. I heard him play a concert in Poughkeepsie in the early to mid eighties. He was playing with a local drummer and pianist who were non professionals, and with a young bassist he brought with him from NY. During the concert, they played a standard (can't remember what, but it was something well known.)

The pianist and the bassist were unfamiliar with the tune and were playing from sheet music or a fake book which the bassist was looking at over top of the piano. After they had finished the tune, Clifford announced to the audience that he told the bass player to stop looking at the music and just play - "I told him he can hear better than he can read upside down."

[brownie]

They have not been mentioned yet. They're really good. Those Beehive

albums:

- 'Dr. Chicago' a Clifford Jordan date with Red Rodney, Jaky Byard, Ed Howard

and the always amazing Vernell Fournier (this includes a superb Jordan/Byard

duo on 'If I Had You',

- 'HydePark After Dark', a group session that reunited Clifford Jordan and Von

Freeman, with Cy Touff, Norman Simmons, Victor Sproles and Wilbur Campbell

(the LP includes a four-page booklet that has very interesting rare photos from

various jam sessions that show Wardell Gray, Charlie Parker and others including

Clifford Jordan playing trumpet!,

- 'Manhattan Project' a Dizzy Reece date with Clifford Jordan, Charles Davis (on tenor

not barytone), Albert Dailey, Art Davis and Roy Haynes (nice Jordan-Davis tenor duel on

'One for Trane' there).

Excellent sound on all (the first two were engineered by Malcom Addey).

I have been told that several Beehive LPs (they never came out on CD) are still

available from the label owners (could not find a website for this).

Another rare Clifford Jordan item is the Japanese EastWind LP 'Pentagon' that has

Clifford Jordan and his regular 70's partners (Cedar Walton, Sam Jones, Billy

Higgins plus Ray Mantilla on congas). That Pentagon grooves (well, Rumsfeld

had nothing to do with it).

[BFrank]

Anybody heard "Hello Hank Jones"? (This was one of those "direct to disc" LP's, circa 1980)

I've got that one. Haven't listened to it in a long time. In fact, I even forgot that I had it. Thanks for reminding me!

It's a really nice date with Clifford, Hank Jones, Reggie Workman and Freddie Waits. Side 1 is a single tune, "Vienna" and Side 2 is "Bohemia After Dark" and "Love For Sale". There's even a double-sided insert with notes and photos about the recording technology that went into this direct-to-disk session. The only info that's nowhere to be found is the recording date ... weird.

Edited April 2, 2003 by BFrank

[J.A.W.]

Anybody heard "Hello Hank Jones"? (This was one of those "direct to disc" LP's, circa 1980)

I've got that one. Haven't listened to it in a long time. In fact, I even forgot that I had it. Thanks for reminding me!

It's a really nice date with Clifford, Hank Jones, Reggie Workman and Freddie Waits. Side 1 is a single tune, "Vienna" and Side 2 is "Bohemia After Dark" and "Love For Sale". There's even a double-sided insert with notes and photos about the recording technology that went into this direct-to-disk session. The only info that's nowhere to be found is the recording date ... weird.

According to the AMG it was recorded in the summer of 1978: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&u...l=Azad6vwvta9lk

Edited April 2, 2003 by J.A.W.

[pryan]

Don't forget some of his sideman appearances of the early sixties with Lee Morgan (on Vee-Jay, HERE'S LEE MORGAN and EXBOOPEDIENT) and J.J. Johnson (on Columbia, J.J. INC.).

BTW, I really dig his tune 'Lost and Found', which appears on EXBOOPEDIENT as well as Blakey's THE WITCH DOCTOR; probably is done on other albums as well.

[bertrand]

'The Hearing' from Expoobident is another outstanding composition.

My local Tower has an import of a Vortex session called Soul Fountain, with Big John Patton on half of it. Is this any good? I might pick it up if it ever goes on sale (it's $25.99 right now - way too much for me). It's been sitting there for two years.

Bertrand.

[J.A.W.]

Bertrand,

See the first page of this thread re Soul Fountain. I've never heard it, so I can't comment on it; to be honest it doesn't "look" very promising to me - but then again, I'm not a fan of "organ dates" or "dates with organ", to put it mildly.

Edited April 2, 2003 by J.A.W.

[BFrank]

Just picked up a copy of "On Stage, Vol 1". Great version of "Pinocchio" - the Wayne Shorter tune. The recording quality of this tune, in particular, seems a little suspect. There aren't exactly drop-outs, but the quality sort of bounces around.

Of course, the band is top-flight throughout the album. All I'm missing now is "Vol. 2" to complete the 'trifecta'.

[SEK]

"On Stage, Vol 1" is my favorite of the three, because I like the program of tunes. That version of "Pinocchio" is wonderful, "The Highest Mountain" is one of my favorite Clifford Jordan compositions in all of its incarnations, it has one of the best versions of "That Old Devil Moon", and ...

[Joe]

A very strong second-stage (I guess) Jordan quartet album is "Bearcat" (Riverside, now OJC) with a terrific bass-drum team -- Teddy Smith and J.C. Moses. There are some Jordan solos here that have an unusual feel even for him, in that they sound (and certainly are) improvised and swing like mad but also have a kind of superior R&B blues-ballad melodic coherence, as though there were no break between the line and the blowing.

Seconded. Perhaps my favorite Jordan LP, if that favorite isn't actually STARTING TIME, with Kenny Dorham, now available from Fantasy on the MOSAIC 2fer.

Jordan was often superb on other people's dates. His solos on Charles McPherson's CON ALMA! are for me the highlight of that record. SPEAK BROTHER SPEAK, a Max Roach date, also has some great Jordan on it. And leave us not forget his fantastic work with the classic 1964 Mingus groups with Coles, Dolphy, Byard and Richmond.

[king ubu]

A strong recommendation for Mal Waldron's "What It Is", a quartet date on Enja with Jordan, Cecil McBee and Dannie Richmond. Three lenghty tunes, featuring Jordan at his best.

Then there's a nice (european) release of late Jordan called "Clifford Jordan meets Klaus Weiss", recorded in Vienna in 1987 it features Jordan with John Schröder, g; Roberto di Gioia, p; Thomas Stabenow, b; Klaus Weiss, d.

Find more here

ubu

[BruceH]

Forgive me if someone's mentioned it already, but his sole Riverside, Spellbound, is one of my favorites. (Kick-ass rendition of "Toy.") I heartily second the sentiments expressed about Glass Bead Game, a truly great record. Another good one is These Are My Roots: Clifford Jordan Plays Leadbelly, cut in 1965 for Atlantic, now reissued by Koch. You wouldn't think it would work, but amazingly it does. I also really like "Mosaic" a CD which reissues two early-60's albums, Starting Time and A Story Tale. Fact is, it's hard to go wrong with Clifford Jordan's original albums, or his appearences as a sideman. He's one of those oddly-unheralded musicians who continually amaze you with their talent, both as player and composer. I really, really wish he was still with us.