Here a truly swinging rhythm section (Sonny Clark, George Tucker, Louis Hayes) plays in support of leader Cliff Brown, who shows his versatility as a composer (the entire first side bears his name) and soloist on tenor sax. The phrases of his choruses, like those on "Soul-Lo Blues" and the exquisite "Sophisticated Lady" (therein, also listen to Tucker) are long and fluid, sometimes developed across several bars with thoughtfully timed. His front line includes Art Farmer on cornet, adding a layer of glossy professionalism to the session. The two horns sound great in unison or offsetting each other, as in "Cliff Craft" trading fours while Louis Hayes fills in between. Sonny Clark gets plenty of room in fresh, bluesy single-note solos that echo those of Jordan or Farmer. The session is a relaxed one, a good example of the hard bop quintet commonly purveyed by Blue Note during the 1950s. I can't overemphasize that rhythm section enough, the or the comfortable fluidity of Jordan's tenor. Those qualities jump out at me the most on this date, and what a great date it is.
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