Jon Gordon

7^th Ave. South

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Having spent quite a bit of time in NYC in the early to mid-1980s, it’s certainly easy to relate to saxophonist and composer Jon Gordon’s salute to the mecca of jazz in the city at that time, 7^th Ave. South. The street was lined with jazz clubs, the venerable Village Vanguard (still and hopefully forever standing) and those iconic clubs no longer with us such as Sweet Basil, the Brecker Brothers owned Seventh Avenue South, and nearby The Village Gate, Lush Life, and 55 Bar. There may have been others too. NYC-born, now Canadian-based Gordon arrived at that scene in December 1983 and found the experience life changing.

Two stories that he relates are chilling, especially the latter. First off though, Gordon relates his first visit to those hallowed grounds, escorted by jazz advocate Margaret Davis, as a 16-year-old he witnessed his first live jazz performance at the Breckers’ club for the Art Taylor Quartet comprised of the drummer along with trumpeter Clark Terry, bassist Ron Carter, and saxophonist Branford Marsalis. Two weeks later Gordon returned to hear the Gil Evans Orchestra and was asked to fill in for David Sanborn in the last set. (Sanborn unfortunately passed earlier this week). Gordon went on to cut his teeth with a long line of greats and now, as encouraged by those many mentors, is featuring mostly his current and former students from University of Manitoba where he teaches, on this album celebrating community and jazz traditions. It’s all about carrying and passing on the torch.

There are ‘name’ players here as well including tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, bass clarinetist John Ellis, guitarist Jocelyn Gould, trombonist Alan Ferber, and pianist Will Bonness. The others must be from the student element – trumpeter Jonathan Challower, bassist Julian Bradford, drummer Fabio Rangnelli, and vocalists Joanna Majoko and Erin Propp. Gordon plays both alto and soprano. There is also a 10-person choir bookending the album. Interestingly Gordon’s upcoming performance of the album at Jazz at Lincoln Center also features a nonet but with completely different musicians.

The first track stunned this listener, unprepared for a choir and expecting the highly harmonic ensemble pieces that follow. “Witness” is a short piece from Gordon’ 1996 album of the same name, rearranged here for choir and piano trio.  The title track has Gordon soaring on soprano, Bonness playing inspired piano, and layered ensemble parts from the nonet. “Ponder This” is from drummer Quincy Davis, once a member of Gordon’s quartet. Gordon’s arrangement features wordless vocals from Majoko, and an extended, fervent solo from the leader, aptly introspective turns from pianist Bonness, guitarist Gould, and a charming harmonic blend between the vocalist and the ensemble. The lengthiest track is the almost eleven-minute “Paradox,” originally appearing on 2000’s Possibilities, a quintet album with John Scofield and rearranged by nonet by large ensemble expert Alan Ferber. It’s a jaunty, lively piece that allows ample room for each member of the ensemble, some taking multiple turns out front.

The album standout is arguably Gordon’s arrangement of The Beatles’ “Here, There, and Everywhere” with a sweet, delicate, and engaging vocal from Erin Propp, buoyed by Gordon’s and Gould’s expressive, lyrical solos.  Propp returns for the breezy “Visit,’ this time with wordless vocals in an expansion of a piece from 2007’s Within Worlds which features a searching alto turn from the leader and a soaring trumpet statement from Challower as the ensemble swells behind both the soloists and vocalists, painting a lovely sonic tapestry.  The swirling, wave-like “Ed’s Groove” is named for the Venezuelan pianist Edward Simon, a key cog in the SF Jazz Collective, and who played on Gordon’s 1998 Currents. Of course, it’s a strong feature for pianist Bonness. Unlike most of the mid-tempo, richly colored orchestral pieces here it swings as does the slowly building “Spark” from 1995’s album entitled the same. This is not to say these two pieces lack the rich orchestral trapping, they just have a brisker tempo.  The choir reprises “7^th Ave South” to close out this deeply interwoven set of uplifting music that has special meaning for those like yours truly who were fortunate enough to experience the vitality of NYC’s Seventh Avenue South in its heyday.

• Jim Hynes

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