Marlon Jordan: Marlon’s Mode (Arabesque)
One of the more promising New Orleans trumpeters of the early ’90s, Marlon Jordan seemed to vanish from the national jazz scene a few years ago. Considering the musical ardor and technical aplomb of his first recordings on Columbia, his disappearance was unfortunate. Apparently the young man never stopped practicing, however, for he returns to the spotlight with a self-assured, alluring recording defined by a distinctly New Orleans sensibility.
With musical assistance from clarinetist Alvin Batiste, reedist Victor Goines and drummer Jason Marsalis, among others, the Crescent City flavor of the music is not surprising. But it’s the way Jordan applies languid, Southern rhythms to standards by John Coltrane (“Miles’ Mode”) and Miles Davis (“Freddie Freeloader”) that distinguishes this recording.
Furthermore, the technical bravura of Jordan’s playing in Davis’ “Agitation” and the searing lines he brings to Coltrane’s “Equinox” point to the breadth and versatility of the trumpeter’s work.
