Joe

Gordon was born in Boston, MA.

This relatively unknown artist died

in his prime (1928-1963) in virtual anonymity. However, gifted jazz musicians

such as Charlie “the Bird” Parker, Dizzy Gillespie,

Thelonious Monk, and Shelly Manne held Gordon in high regard

and asked him to sit in on a few treasured recordings. Recorded in July

1961, this recently re-released CD was Gordon’s second recording, each

song is mentioned in detail on the

CD’s insert jacket. Gordon painstakingly explained not only what each song

was about but also who the songs were dedicated to. Gordon also depicted

the inherent musical theory and chord structure behind each selection;

something rarely if ever seen these days. Joe and the other fine members

of this band played an

upbeat tempo jazz, combined with some great improvisations that I really

enjoyed. Check out Non-Viennese

Waltz Blues and You’re The Only Girl In The Next World For Me

to get a feeling of what this master was all about.