I must confess that my knowledge of tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan has been limited to his acquaintance with Charles Mingus. More specifically, he played in a European tour that Mingus arranged in April of 1964, which would eventually lead to the release of the album Charles Mingus Live in ’64. As a result, when I learned that Time Traveler Recordings would release a live album of a quartet led by Jordan, my curiosity got the better of me!
Album cover for Night of the Mark VII
The title of the album is Night of the Mark VII, and it documents a live performance of Jordan’s quartet in Paris (France) on March 26, 1975. The other members of the quartet on that occasion were pianist Cedar Walton, Sam Jones on bass, and drummer Billy Higgins. This is very much a “jazz from the last century” album, and I was delighted to encounter its reissue. The release date is this coming Friday (October 23); but the above hyperlink leads to an Amazon.com Web page that is processing pre-orders.
There are five tracks, only one of which, “Highest Mountain,” is by Jordan. There are also compositions by Walton (“Midnight Waltz”) and Jones (“One for Amos”). That leaves two other tracks, the better known being Thelonious Monk’s “Blue Monk.” The album begins with “John Coltrane,” composed by Bill Lee.
Personally, I always have a preference for Monk originals. That said, Jordan brings a sassiness to “Blue Monk” that is better expressed on saxophone than on a piano keyboard. On the other hand, the opening track composed by Bill Lee is titled “John Coltrane.” This struck me as an evocation that clearly honored “the master;” but I would have been more satisfied with a track of one of Coltrane’s compositions! On the other hand, I was a bit frustrated in listening to “One For Amos” because I hadn’t a clue who “Amos” was!
Nevertheless, I continue to have nostalgia for jazz from the last quarter of the last century; and there is more than enough on the five tracks of this album to satisfy that nostalgia!
