In 1964, tenor-saxophonist Clifford Jordan did the impossible, holding his own next to the remarkable Eric Dolphy on a European tour with Charles Mingus. Jordan's distinctive tone and ability to play both inside and outside made him an underrated giant. Cliff Craft, his great Blue Note album from 1959, shows that he was already a major stylist five years earlier.

Teamed with Art Farmer and Sonny Clark in a quintet, Jordan's every note is full of soul, swing and subtle surprises. He never played the expected and, inspired by his sidemen, Jordan comes up with one fresh idea after another. Not content to merely follow Sonny Rollins or John Coltrane, Clifford Jordan blazed his own original musical path, making Cliff Craft into one of the most memorable recordings of his career.

Like all Music Matters Jazz releases, this audiophile vinyl reissue is mastered from the original analog tape and pressed on 180g virgin vinyl at RTI in Camarillo, CA. The highest quality gatefold cover features original session photography on the inside.

See more Clifford Jordan records here.