One of the top hard bop trumpeters to emerge during the 1950s,
Joe Gordon was just 26 when he recorded the two sessions that are on this excellent reissue. The first eight numbers are from his debut as a leader, a quintet project from September 1954 that matches his boppish horn with tenor saxophonist
Charlie Rouse, pianist
Junior Mance, bassist Jimmy Schneck, and drummer
Art Blakey. The repertoire consists of two tunes by
Gordon, three from
Quincy Jones, and a trio of jazz standards.
Gordon's only other set as a leader would be in 1961. The second half of this reissue is an
Art Blakey pre-
Jazz Messengers set comprised of seven songs by altoist
Gigi Gryce and one
Horace Silver tune.
Gordon and
Gryce blend together quite well while joined by pianist
Walter Bishop, bassist
Bernie Griggs,
Blakey, and, during "Futurity,"
Sabu on conga. Both of these albums, reissued in full on a single CD, were originally cut for the Emarcy label. Easily recommended to hard bop collectors.