Clifford Jordan: Night Of The Mark VII

     Tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan had a lengthy career, recording over 40 albums as a leader from 1957 through 1991 and consistently working with some of the best musicians on the hard bop scene. His longest association was with pianist Cedar Walton, who he first recorded with on a 1960 J.J. Johnson date for Columbia. One of Jordan’s stand-out sessions was his 1975 live recording for Muse, Night Of The Mark VII, which was just been reissued on vinyl by Zev Feldman’s Time Traveler Recording series. Walton is on hand, and he’s joined in the all-star rhythm section by bassist Sam Jones and drummer Billy Higgins. Jordan was celebrating the receipt of his new Selmer Mark VII saxophone in Paris, and figured the best way to break in his new horn was to play it on stage. The quartet is cooking from the start, and there’s no letup over the duration of the set. Walton contributes one tune to the proceedings (Midnight Waltz, often revisited by the pianist), and Jordan offers his best known tune (The Highest Mountain). Sam Jones’ One For Amos is another composition frequently performed by Jordan in a variety of contexts. The set list is filled out by a powerhouse rendition of Bill Lee’s John Coltrane and a stroll through Thelonious Monk’s Blue Monk. Jordan, Walton, Jones, and Higgins made a lot of great music in the Seventies, and if you’re not already acquainted with this quartet, Night Of The Mark VII is a great place to start. 

Time Traveler TT-M007; Clifford Jordan (ts) Cedar Walton (p) Sam Jones (b) Billy Higgins (d); Paris, March 26, 1975; John Coltrane/ Highest Mountain/ Blue Monk/ Midnight Waltz/ One For Amos; 43:06.