One of the wonderful things about Spain-based Fresh Sound Records is that they find excellent artists that slipped through the cracks of most jazz fans. This single cd of trumpeter Joe Gordon is a perfect example.
Gordon was a slick bopper who had a respectable career as a sideman with Charlie Parker, Horace Silver and Art Blakey. Unfortunately, he died before his time in a house fire in 1963, so these sessions here are the last he did, and they are quite impressive. He leads a quintet with Jimmy Woods/as, Dick Whittington/p, Jimmy Bond/b and Milt Turner/dr for some snappy material such as “Terra Firma Irma” and a swinging “Non-Viennese Waltz Blues” which showcases Gordon’s warm and sleek tone. He’s also a sideman on Jimmy Woods’ Awakening album, soloing on a wondrously tangential read of “Love For Sale” while Woods’ pungent alto bears down on the clever “A New Twist.”
If you’re a hard bop fan, you’ll flock to this one.
Fresh Sound Records