Standards Only - Wycliffe Gordon

Standards Only is trombonist Wycliffe Gordon's album for Criss Cross Records, released in 2006. The sextet features Randy Sandke on trumpet, Victor Goines on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Eric Reed on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Herlin Riley on drums — a group steeped in the New Orleans and swing traditions that Gordon has championed throughout his career. The eleven-track program consists entirely of well-known standards including "Stardust," "Georgia on My Mind," "Mood Indigo," "Cherokee," "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," and "What Is This Thing Called Love." Gordon, who spent years as lead trombonist in the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra under Wynton Marsalis, brings a wide tonal palette to these familiar melodies, moving from plunger-muted growls in the Ellington tradition to clean, modern slide work. He also sings on several tracks, adding another dimension to the performances. Goines's clarinet and tenor playing complements the trombone's warmth, and Reed's piano comping draws on both stride and bop vocabulary. The album reflects Gordon's commitment to the jazz tradition without academic stiffness — the arrangements swing hard and leave room for spontaneous interplay among all six musicians.