At first glance, this appears to be a very illogical album. Back in 1965, tenor saxophonist
Clifford Jordan recorded a tribute to the late folksinger
Leadbelly. The date, originally cut for Atlantic and reissued by
Koch in 1999, is actually more successful than one might expect.
Jordan performs nine of
Leadbelly's originals (including the hit "Goodnight Irene"), turning the music into jazz without lessening the impact of the melodies or their folk roots. Trumpeter
Roy Burrowes, trombonist
Julian Priester, bassist
Richard Davis, and drummer
Albert "Tootie" Heath are on most of the selections along with
Jordan, while
Chuck Wayne (on guitar and banjo) helps out on four tunes, and pianist
Cedar Walton is on three. The fine young singer Sandra Douglass is excellent on "Take This Hammer" and "Black Girl." Overall, this project is an unexpected success -- one would not have thought that
Clifford Jordan and
Leadbelly had that much in common! ~ Scott Yanow