Clifford Jordan
Tenor Sax Solo on
Toy

About

Clifford Jordan opens with three choruses on tenor sax, the first of two solos, followed by Cedar Walton on piano. Taken at a brisk swing tempo of 250 BPM over the 28-bar ABCD in B♭, the improvisation moves with confident, driving energy. Jordan's composition demonstrates his gift for writing memorable, swinging themes with unusual structural characteristics, the 28-bar ABCD form providing a less predictable framework than the standard 32-bar song form. Recorded for the album Spellbound in 1960, the performance captures Clifford Jordan at 28 to 29 years old. Spellbound was an important early document of Jordan's capabilities as both a leader and a composer, showcasing a musician whose deep, smoky tenor sound and thoughtful improvisational approach deserved wider recognition.

Clifford Jordan was 28 to 29 years old at the time.