In the Wee Small Hours takes its title from the standard Sax Gordon covers on this 2014 set for Delmark but it also sums up the album's mood: this laid-back set of soul-jazz is designed for lazy late nights. Playing with organist Alberto Marsico and drummer Alessandro Minetto, Gordon keeps things simple and mellow, riding supple grooves on lived-in tunes and never relying on the big, swinging sound that characterized his earliest records. Don't call it maturation as much as a deliberate shift in tone: Gordon decided to ...
Read More
In the Wee Small Hours takes its title from the standard Sax Gordon covers on this 2014 set for Delmark but it also sums up the album's mood: this laid-back set of soul-jazz is designed for lazy late nights. Playing with organist Alberto Marsico and drummer Alessandro Minetto, Gordon keeps things simple and mellow, riding supple grooves on lived-in tunes and never relying on the big, swinging sound that characterized his earliest records. Don't call it maturation as much as a deliberate shift in tone: Gordon decided to stretch out by taking it easy and he winds up with a charming little record, one that feels relaxed but never somnolent. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi
Read Less