IN THE WORLD

[JSngry]

http://www.dustygroove.com/item.php?id=hps...p;ref=index.php

One of the most ambitious albums ever recorded from Clifford Jordan -- a totally righteous little effort that was the first installment in the legendary Dolphy Series on the Strata East label! The set has Jordan working with a larger group than usual -- an all-star array of players that includes Kenny Dorham and Don Cherry on trumpets, Julian Priester on trombone, Wynton Kelly on piano, Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis on bass, and drums from Roy Haynes, Ed Blackwell, and Albert Heath. The titles are originals by Jordan -- long numbers that flow out slowly as they build up new musical ideas -- all in a style that's somewhat laidback and spacious, very organic, and a bit like some of the best early 70s Impulse material by Archie Shepp. Album features 4 long tracks -- "872", "Vienna", "Doug's Prelude", and "Ouagoudougou".

Don't know about the Shepp comparison but this might well be my favorite Jordan side, period. My buddy Lyles West, who spent time hanging w/Clifford in the early 80s, says that CJ considered this his favorite as well. No matter, the collective lineup says it all. No disappointments here, at least not for me.

Guess it's been sorta hard to come by, but here it is now. Carpe diem.

[ep1str0phy]

His favorite? Haven't heard this one (I've heard the "other" Jordan Strata-East sides), but the config., hot as it is, looks pretty atypical for a large scale Jordan date. Can't say I'm not fascinated, because some of those cats are a rare commodity together (Dorham and Cherry? Do they perform on the same track?).

[RDK]

I've been really digging the Strata East stuff I recently found on the interweb - not to mention the very fine Toliver Select. That's a label I'd never actually heard before about six months ago. How's this compare to Glass Bead Games? Totally different players I realize...

Any further news about Mosaic doing anymore Strata box sets? I'd buy that in a jiffy.

[brownie]

(Dorham and Cherry? Do they perform on the same track?).

Don Cherry appears on one side of the LP. Kenny Dorham on the other one.

Al Heath is the drummer on the Don Cherry tracks, Roy Haynes and Ed Blackwell are on drums on the KD tracks!

[ep1str0phy]

Ah--different rhythm sections, like Glass Bead Games. I would've loved to have heard them go neck and neck, though.

On a side note--Cherry's really adept at these "insidish" contexts, where I've heard him. His personal ethos was just so strong that it's easy to forget about his versatility...

[Tom in RI]

Would an issue like this likely be sourced from vinyl?

[JSngry]

Good question. Don't know. I think P-Vine uses master tapes, but am in no way certain.

[mailman]

This is one terrific recording. It was my into to Jordan and I think it's his best.

[marcello]

After all of the positive responses, I'll have to listen to this again. Around the time I bought this Glass Bead Games was available also, and that one stayed on my turntable for quite a while!

Edited December 11, 2006 by marcello

[John L]

Good question. Don't know. I think P-Vine uses master tapes, but am in no way certain.

P-Vine has also used other source material when it can't get its hands on the masters. Most of the blues and gospel releases don't come from vault sources. They usually do a good job with the sonics, however.

[JSngry]

After all of the positive responses, I'll have to listen to this again. Around the time I bought this Glass Bead Games was available also, and that one stayed on my turntable for quite a while!

Got that one long before I found ITW, and as good as it is, there's a certain "holding back" quality to it (that I can't really put my finger on), that is totally absent from ITW, at least to me.

[JSngry]

Good question. Don't know. I think P-Vine uses master tapes, but am in no way certain.

P-Vine has also used other source material when it can't get its hands on the masters. Most of the blues and gospel releases don't come from vault sources. They usually do a good job with the sonics, however.

Thanks for that info.