The title track of Clifford Jordan's 1957 Blue Note album is a hard-swinging original built on the 32-bar AABA form in F, taken at a brisk tempo exceeding 230 beats per minute. Jordan leads the way with four authoritative tenor saxophone choruses, his solo demonstrating the kind of rhythmic confidence and melodic invention that marked him as one of the most promising young tenormen of his generation. His tone is robust and commanding, and his lines have a logical, flowing quality that reflects his careful study of the bebop tradition. Art Farmer follows with two trumpet choruses that match Jordan's energy, his playing marked by the precision and lyrical grace that characterized his entire career. Sonny Clark contributes two piano choruses of fluid, swinging improvisation, his bebop vocabulary enriched by a personal harmonic sensibility that made him one of the most sought-after accompanists on the Blue Note roster. George Tucker and Louis Hayes drive the proceedings with an unrelenting swing feel that never lets up. The tune's title serves as both a signature for the album and a declaration of Jordan's craft as a musician dedicated to the highest standards of the hard bop tradition.
