Eric Dolphy - Iron Man (1963)

The companion piece to Conversations (recorded at the same mid-1963 sessions with producer Alan Douglas), Iron Man is every bit as essential and strikes a more consistent ambience than its widely varied twin. It also more clearly anticipates the detailed, abstract sound paintings of Dolphy's masterwork Out to Lunch, in large part because this time around the program is weighted toward Dolphy originals. "Iron Man," "Burning Spear," and the shorter "Mandrake" all have pretty outside themes, full of Dolphy's trademark wide interval leaps and playful sense of dissonance. Yet there's enough structure and swing to make their roots in hard bop perfectly clear, and once the front-line horns blast out the themes, the ensemble shifts into a more cerebral, exploratory mode. In the absence of a piano, Bobby Hutcherson's vibes are a crucial anchor, outlining dissonant harmonies that hang in the air almost spectrally behind the rest of the group. Most of the same musicians from Conversations appear here, including trumpeter Woody Shaw, flutist Prince Lasha, altoist Sonny Simmons, and soprano sax player Clifford Jordan. And once again, Dolphy duets with bassist Richard Davis, twice this time -- on bass clarinet for Ellington's "Come Sunday" and on flute for Jaki Byard's "Ode to C.P." Both are lovely, meditative pieces filled with conversational exchanges between the two players, illustrating what similar wavelengths they were on. Between Conversations and Iron Man, split up the way they are, one has to give a slight edge to the latter for its more cohesive presentation, yet these are classic sessions in any form and constitute some of the most brilliant work of the early-'60s avant-garde.

by Steve Huey in All Music Guide

Styles:
Avant-Garde
Free-Jazz
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - Iron Man (09:07)
02 - Mandrake (04:50)
03 - Come Sunday (06:24)
04 - Burning Spear (11:49)
05 - Ode to C.P. (08:05)

Line-up:
Eric Dolphy – bass clarinet, flute, alto saxophone
Richard Davis – bass
Clifford Jordan – tenor saxophone
Sonny Simmons – alto saxophone
(William) Prince Lasha – flute
Woody Shaw Jr. – trumpet
Bobby Hutcherson – vibraphone
J.C. Moses – drums
Eddie Khan – bass ("Iron Man")

Clifford Jordan - Blowing in from Chicago (1957)

BLOWING IN FROM CHICAGO features tenor saxophonist John Gilmore as a co-leader. After this 1957 session, he spent the rest of his career in Sun Ra's band, hardly ever making any albums under his own name. This adversely affected Gilmore's legacy, since his name has largely been overlooked by younger jazz audiences. However, Gilmore's performance here is first-rate, and is matched by fellow tenor sax player Clifford Jordan. Throughout the record, it's apparent that this pairing of like minds is ideal.
Drummer Art Blakey also asserts himself on this album, especially on the highly rhythmic "Billie's Bounce," a Charlie Parker tune he popularized with the Jazz Messengers. The Latin-flavored Jordan original "Bo-Till" is one of BLOWING IN FROM CHICAGO'S highlights, as is his funky blues number "Evil Eye." This is classic hard bop played by some of its most skillful practitioners.
Clifford Jordan's first date as a leader actually found him sharing a heated jam session with fellow tenor John Gilmore. Backed by pianist Horace Silver, bassist Curly Russell, and drummer Art Blakey, the two saxophonists square off mostly on obscurities (other than Gigi Gryce's "Blue Lights" and "Billie's Bounce"). This was one of Gilmore's few sessions outside of Sun Ra's orbit and, if anything, he slightly overshadows the cooler-toned Jordan. Recommended.

by Scott Yanow in All Music Guide

Styles:
Hard-Bop
Post-Bop

Tracks:
01 - Status Quo (5:34)
02 - Bo-Till (5:54)
03 - Blue Lights (6:35)
04 - Billie's Bounce (9:32)
05 - Evil Eye (5:12)
06 - Everywhere (5:42)
07 - Let It Stand (7:42)

Line-up:
Clifford Jordan - Tenor Sax
Curly Russell - Bass
Art Blakey - Drums
Horace Silver - Piano
John Gilmore - Tenor Sax