Jon Gordon – Alto & Soprano Saxophones
Jonathan Challoner – Trumpet
Walter Smith III – Tenor Saxophone
Alan Ferber – Trombone
John Ellis – Bass Clarinet
Jocelyn Gould – Guitar
Will Bonness – Piano
Julian Bradford – Bass
Fabio Ragnelli – Drums
Joanna Majoko – Voice (3)
Erin Propp – Voice (5, 6)
Choir (1, 10) – Joyce German, Joey Landreth, Erin Propp, Kelsey Rosentreter, Dan Keding, Mariana Padeaunu, Jocelyn Gould, Ashleigh Sadler, Elizabeth Sadler, Zachary Rushing

In the early 1980s, there was no better place for a jazz fan or aspiring musician to hang than Seventh Avenue South in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The street was lined with jazz clubs, including the Brecker Brothers-owned venue that borrowed its name, Sweet Basil, and the famed Village Vanguard (which still stands there today), while the Village Gate, Lush Life and the 55 Bar were all within easy walking distance. Saxophonist Jon Gordon arrived on that scene in December 1983 and the experience changed his life. He looks back on that cherished time period on his stellar new album 7th Ave South, which looks back over the four decades that have passed since and the lasting impact that the scene made on his life and career. 

Beyond simply recalling that long-ago NYC scene, 7th Ave South is a celebration of community – the one from which he emerged in his early days as well as the one that he helps nurture now as a musician and a professor at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. Most of the players on the album are fellow faculty or former students at the school. “A lot of the people I looked up to as mentors always told me to pass it on,” Gordon says. “I’m at that stage of my life, so I wanted to do my part to create that sense of community and interconnectedness that hopefully remains a part of what we do as musicians.” 

“Gordon has embraced the history of his instrument, carrying with it the ability to extend music as a universal language.” 

Wayne Shorter

“Jon is one of the greatest alto players ever.” 

Phil Woods

jongordonmusic.com

Release Date: Friday, May 3rd 2024 via ArtistShare