Tenor saxophonist
Clifford Jordan was sponsored by
Cannonball Adderley on this set for Riverside, reissued on CD under the OJC imprint. At this point,
Jordan did not quite have the distinctive sound that he would develop in his period with
Charles Mingus, but he was already a strong hard bop stylist. Assisted by pianist
Cedar Walton, bassist Spanky DeBrest, and drummer Albert "Tootie" Heath,
Jordan performs four originals ("Toy" is best known), an unusual waltz version of "Lush Life," the ballad "Last Night When We Were Young," and the romping
Charlie Parker blues "Au Privave." It's an excellent straight-ahead outing. ~ Scott Yanow