Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love" serves as one of the more uptempo vehicles on Wycliffe Gordon's 2001 album Standards Only, its AABA form in C major taken at a driving medium-up tempo that allows the soloists ample room to stretch out. Victor Goines opens the solo section with two choruses of tenor saxophone, his robust tone and rhythmic assurance establishing a high standard of intensity. Gordon follows with two choruses of trombone, his improvisation demonstrating the remarkable agility and melodic inventiveness that set him apart from his contemporaries. His ability to maintain clarity and swing at faster tempos on an instrument that presents unique mechanical challenges is a testament to his exceptional technique. Rodney Whitaker contributes one chorus of acoustic bass, his solo reflecting the deep, woody tone and harmonic sophistication that have made him a pillar of the Detroit jazz tradition. Porter's composition, with its exotic harmonic language and dramatic minor-key melody, has been a jazz staple since the 1930s, and this performance honors that tradition while bringing a distinctly twenty-first-century energy to the material. The interplay among the musicians reflects their shared experience in the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, where the cultivation of both individual excellence and ensemble cohesion was a guiding principle under Wynton Marsalis's leadership.
