I Hadn't heard much from Clifford Jordan, other than his fine late 50's Blue Note Albums, Cliff Craft being his best of that lot.
Mosaic Records came out with a 6 CD Complete Clifford Jordan Strata East Sessions Box, I really wasn't all that interested in it.
Missing out on the box was a poor choice to say the least, I am immersed in it right now, giving the set its second run through. A wide range of styles, all very interesting. I had heard that the album Glass Bead Games from Jordan was a really well done session that was frankly as smooth as silk. Immediately upon listening to Glass Bead Games I was struck at how well "smooth as silk" described the session.
It's not smooth jazz, but it really is an easy listen, with a very good sound production. Sort of a direct descendent to Coltrane's early 60's Atlantic period stuff to my ears, lots of "Cousin Mary" in it. Damned good!
The set also has Pharoah Sanders' Izipho Zam, an album I've had on vinyl and CD for quite some time, I had no idea this was in that set. Charles Brackeen has a set, Bassist Wilbur Ware and Drummer Edward Blackwell do too.
For some reason when "The Dolphy Series" was mentioned, it went right over my head, it had not occurred to me that the Sanders album was a part of this Dolphy Series.
This Cecil Payne Album, Zodiac: The Music of Cecil Payne is very very good and it's the 3rd and final installment of the Dolphy series for Strata-East. Clifford Jordan does not appear on this album as a musician, but he is the producer on all of these Dolphy Series Albums.
Cecil Payne can be heard on baritone and alto sax, Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Wynton Kelly on piano, Wilbur Ware on bass, and Albert Kuumba Heath on Drums. For me the music has a Eddie Harris vibe going on, soul jazz, with an edge? But closer to bop and modal jazz in spots.
My favorite track easily is "Girl, You Got A Home". Some very subtle organ being played on this, almost providing a bizarre hint of psychedelia. Really though, this acid-rock vibe doesn't develop at all, the track does have that Eddie Harris vibe going on as mentioned, I like it.
I swear I am getting real serious Graham Bond thing going on at the beginning. The theme that comes out of that psychedelic beginning has a killer Sonny Clark circa Cool Struttin' vibe too.
The rest of the album stays inside the post bop/hard bop styles: The lengthy "Follow Me" and "Flying Fish" are pretty good jams, with great work from Dorham and Payne.
If you think Pharoah Sanders' is too far out for you, rest assured that Zodiac the Music of Cecil Payne does not even approach free-jazz, it is lightly funky hard bop with a touch of post bop.
Here's a more in depth review of the Clifford Jordan Mosaic box set I thought was well done.
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