Duke Jordan • Trio And Quintet

 

Review
by Jim Todd
The title of this 1955 Savoy release by pianist Duke Jordan succinctly points to the set's merits and shortcomings. The five trio performances with Art Blakey (drums) and Percy Heath (bass) work well. The five tracks from the same group augmented by Cecil Payne (baritone sax) and Eddie Bert (trombone) don't come up to the mark. For the trio tracks, Jordan's elegant, swinging bop style is the main attraction, with Blakey and Heath providing appropriately understated support. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and "Night in Tunisia" are each given fresh reworkings. Jordan's upbeat "Forecast" and his meditative ballad "Sultry Eve" are strong originals. George Gershwin's "Summertime," unfortunately, gets an undistinguished, overly literal reading. On the quintet tracks the focus wavers. Jordan is too often relegated to conventional comping in the background. Blakey's playing occasionally becomes cluttered and Heath seems to lose interest. More problematic is the ineffective, bottom-heavy baritone sax/trombone combination. Payne's and Bert's parts generate little harmonic interest. The result is two horns doing no more than the work of one. As for the tunes, the pianist's "Flight to Jordan" and Payne's "Cu-ba" offer respectable solos, while "Scotch Blues" is an awkward attempt by Jordan to fuse a Scottish folk dance theme with straight-ahead blues. The blues passages are fine, but the scotch doesn't mix. There are some good moments on this CD, particularly from Jordan and Payne. Both the pianist and the baritone saxophonist, however, can be heard to better advantage on Payne's 1956 set, Patterns of Jazz, where Jordan, with Tommy Potter (bass) and Art Taylor (drums), shines in a consistently integrated and cohesive performance with Payne.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/trio-quintet-mw0000097844?1633016890699

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Revisión
por Jim Todd
El título de esta edición de Savoy de 1955 del pianista Duke Jordan señala sucintamente los méritos y las deficiencias del conjunto. Las cinco actuaciones en trío con Art Blakey (batería) y Percy Heath (bajo) funcionan bien. Los cinco temas del mismo grupo aumentados por Cecil Payne (saxo barítono) y Eddie Bert (trombón) no dan la talla. En los temas del trío, el elegante estilo bop de Jordan es la principal atracción, con Blakey y Heath proporcionando el apoyo adecuado. "They Can't Take That Away From Me" y "Night in Tunisia" reciben nuevas versiones. La optimista "Forecast" de Jordan y su meditativa balada "Sultry Eve" son fuertes originales. Desgraciadamente, "Summertime" de George Gershwin recibe una lectura poco distinguida y demasiado literal. En los temas del quinteto, el enfoque varía. Jordan es relegado con demasiada frecuencia a la composición convencional en el fondo. La forma de tocar de Blakey se vuelve ocasionalmente desordenada y Heath parece perder el interés. Más problemática es la ineficaz combinación de saxo barítono/trombón, con mucho fondo. Las partes de Payne y Bert generan poco interés armónico. El resultado es que dos trompas no hacen más que el trabajo de una. En cuanto a las melodías, "Flight to Jordan" del pianista y "Cu-ba" de Payne ofrecen respetables solos, mientras que "Scotch Blues" es un torpe intento de Jordan de fusionar un tema de danza folclórica escocesa con un blues directo. Los pasajes de blues están bien, pero el escocés no combina. Hay algunos buenos momentos en este CD, especialmente de Jordan y Payne. Sin embargo, tanto el pianista como el saxofonista barítono se pueden escuchar mejor en el conjunto de Payne de 1956, Patterns of Jazz, donde Jordan, con Tommy Potter (bajo) y Art Taylor (batería), brilla en una actuación consistentemente integrada y cohesionada con Payne.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/trio-quintet-mw0000097844?1633016890699

Tracklist:
1 - Forecast - 4:46
2 - Sultry Eve - 3:56
3 - They Can't Take That Away From Me - 4:35
4 - Night In Tunisia - 5:09
5 - Summertime - 4:25
6 - Flight To Jordan - 4:43
7 - Two Lovers - 3:07
8 - Cu-Ba - 3:32
9 - Yesterdays - 5:45
10 - Scotch Blues - 4:37

Credits:
Baritone Saxophone – Cecil Payne (tracks: 6 to 10)
Bass – Percy Heath
Drums – Art Blakey
Piano – Duke Jordan
Trombone – Eddie Bert (tracks: 6 to 10)

1955

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