Personnel:

• Lee Morgan, trumpet
• Curtis Fuller, trombone
• John Jenkins, alto saxophone
• Cliff Jordan, tenor saxophone
• Ray Bryant, piano
• Paul Chambers, bass
• Art Taylor, drums

Recorded June 2, 1957 at Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey
Originally released October 1957

Selections:

“Blue Shoes”

“Ju-ba”

Truth be told, these United Artists mono pressings from the early to mid ’70s are hit and miss, having heard more than one that suffered from significant non-fill problems. But this particular copy made it through that inconsistent manufacturing process unscathed. United Artists pressings also seem to have a gentler top end than a lot of modern audiophile reissues, which to some collectors makes them worth seeking out despite the difficulty in finding a quality copy.

This particular Cliff Jordan album also seems difficult to find in any format, which is why I jumped at the chance to buy it when it popped up on eBay. Discogs indicates that it has only been issued in the US twice on vinyl (originally in 1957 and this copy in the early ’70s) and never on CD. Though it has been reissued by Toshiba EMI in Japan once as an LP in 1984 (undocumented by Discogs) and three more times on compact disc there, these copies are hard to find in the states. And try you may, but you will not find these sides in any shape or form on iTunes or Spotify, making this a rare and special listen indeed.