Clifford Jordan Quintet featuring Junior Cook - Two Tenor Winner (Criss Cross, 1985)

This post is by Scott and Dan

Clifford Jordan (ts); Junior Cook (ts); Kirk Lightsey (p); Cecil McBee (b); Eddie Gladden (d)

Recorded on October 1, 1984

The "tenor battle" is one of the more dubious settings for jazz artists. The tradition of "cutting" bandmates in performance by out-dueling them never produced the best jazz, although it was a format that may have helped younger players to establish reputations by cutting their elders. When successful, tenor battles often highlighted the differences in approach, exemplified by the friendly fire between Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and the rising Johnny Griffin. At the very least, battling tenors helped to sell records.

Two Tenor Winner's title suggests that two can win a contrived battle. That's certainly the case in this delightful pairing of veterans Clifford Jordan and Junior Cook, both of whom are featured elsewhere in this blog. Together, they cooperate to produce an amiable outing in which each player gets to show off without cutting the other. 

The title tune, a basic blues, has each tenorist stating the head, then shifting into a counterpoint duet, followed by full solos for each man, and ending with an alternating trading of fours with drummer Eddie Gladden (his only solo opportunity on the album. 

Even on the Dizzy Gillespie warhorse "Groovin' High," the right stereo channel (Cook) and left channel (Jordan) engage in a productive dialog that is instructive of their different strengths as jazzmen. The graciousness is further exemplified by Jordan sitting out for "Make the Man Love Me," which is a ballad feature for Cook. 

Two of the more interesting tunes come from the pens of bassist Cecil McBee and pianist Kirk Lightsey. McBee's "Song of Her" is a haunting melody prompting searching solos, first by Cook and then by Jordan. Lightsey's "The Water Bearer' is a churning modal workout that fades out as the tenorists trade short solo statements. The album ends with Jordan's "Doug's Prelude," a brief two-part harmonization for the horns that casts a shade of melancholy over the proceedings. 

Overall, this update on the tenor battle format is one of the highlights of the decade. In either CD or LP format (both with all seven tracks), one gets to hear two of the top tenorists of the 1960s engaging in deep conversations and supported by outstanding rhythm players. Who could ask for more?