Spellbound - Clifford Jordan Quartet

Spellbound is tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan's album for Riverside Records, recorded in 1960. The quartet features Cedar Walton on piano, Spanky DeBrest on bass, and Albert Heath on drums. The seven-track program mixes Jordan originals with Charlie Parker's "Au Privave" and Harold Arlen's "Last Night When We Were Young," plus Billy Strayhorn's "Lush Life." Jordan's reading of "Lush Life" is a notable inclusion — the tune is more commonly associated with vocalists and rarely performed as a saxophone feature, and Jordan's interpretation brings out its harmonic complexity as an instrumental vehicle. Walton, then early in his career, provides the kind of responsive, harmonically rich comping that would make him one of the most sought-after sidemen and leaders in hard bop. The album captures Jordan in a more intimate setting than his Blue Note quintet dates, with the absence of a second horn placing greater emphasis on his tone and phrasing. His originals like "Spellbound" and "Moon-A-Tic" are well-constructed hard bop themes that give both Jordan and Walton room to stretch. The rhythm section of DeBrest and Heath swings with understated authority throughout. The album represents a quieter, more reflective side of Jordan's playing compared to his blowing session recordings.