Jordan Young Group

The Jordan Young Group
Jordan Young Group | Self Produced
By David Rickert
Organ albums have always been the comfort food of jazz. Buying one of the classics from the fifties and sixties, the line-up is almost certain (guitar and/or sax, drums, never a bass), and a bunch of songs that would satisfy some primal need for deep, funky grooves. However, this predictability ensured that a lot of them were pretty interchangeable, and after buying three or four of them it became apparent that there probably wasn't a need for any more. But just at the time when it seemed like the format had grown stale, there was a guy like Larry Young, working the fringes, and proving that the blues, and song titles laden with apostrophes were not all that the organ could offer.

Jordan Young Group is clearly in the latter camp, and has absolutely nailed the idiom. Its debut recalls the adventurous glories of Larry Young's Into Something (Blue Note, 1964) in sound and spirit; this record sounds like it was recorded smack dab in the sixties with the same juju and an equal level of taste and finesse. There's only one blues on here; most are tricky, engaging compositions, like Pat Metheny's “H and H,” Duke Pearson's “Jean de Fleur” and Joe Henderson's “Afro-Centric,” along with some deft originals.

Jordan Young is actually the drummer of the group, but surrounds himself with a terrific cast of musicians. Brian Charette churns notes on the organ with the best of them, creating some tasty solos while comping beautifully; the organ is a notoriously tricky instrument to play as tastefully as he does. Yotam Silberstein plays the guitar fully in the Grant Green and Kenny Burrell mode, which is as it should be, given the string of classic organ jazz recordings those guys handled with aplomb. Tenor saxophonist Joe Sucato avoids the breathy, swooping style of common organ blowers with nicknames like “Gator Tail” or “Swamp Bottom,” and plays in a style more like Wayne Shorter, even on the blues he contributes. Young is content to fan the flames from the back, taking the occasional solo, but more or less keeping everything in line, focused on the group effort.

The end product is one of the best organ jazz albums in years. The song selection is superb; varied, challenging, and arresting six-minute workouts that work through a variety of moods and styles. A couple of standards to keep things honest, a few tricky numbers for street cred, and some abstract noodling for fun. The run-through of “Jean de Fleur” is scorching, and probably the best thing here; Young's own “Claudes Monet” is a wonderfully beautiful tune that promises great things in the future.

Jordan Young Group hits the sweets spot between inspiration and imitation, creating an album that one of its idols might have made, but doesn't make you want to pick up one of their records instead. A triumphant debut.


Track Listing: H and H; Every Time We Say Goodbye; PiNGs I; Jean De Fleur; Claudes Monet; PiNGs 2; Afro-Centric; JF Blues; PiNGs 3; My ONe and Only Love; Angola; PiNGs 4.

Personnel: Jordan Young: drums; Brian Charette: organ; Yotam Silberstein: guitar; Joe Sucato: tenor sax. - All About Jazz

"The Jordan Young Group, a drummer-led organ quartet out of New York City, evinces a love for the music of Blue Note records from the ‘60’s, as witness the musical selections and style. I’m speaking specifically of the hard bop organ sounds of Jimmy Smith and Big John Patton. The tune selections are from the catalogues of, among others, pianist Duke Pearson and tenor saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson. This love of musical style is carried over into the original readings of Cole Porter’s “Every Time We Say Goodbye” and Wood and Mellin’s ballad “My One and Only Love”. Strung together with little interludes – PiNGs – the CD is a gritty, interesting ode to a time that still has relevance and takes accomplished musicians to bring out."
- Rahsaan Clark Morris
- Jazz Institute of Chicago

The current generation of Big Apple jazzbos better not slow down because the next generation is already on the march. This young drummer and his pals are down with the Big Apple vibe and deliver the goods in hopping good form. More than just a time keeper, Young is a smart leader and composer as well as a student of the form that has a feel for well chosen covers. A tasty debut that grabs hold early and doesn't let go in classic Blue Note fashion.
Chris Spector
Midwest Record
- Midwest Record

The Jordan Young Group
Jordan Young Group | Self Produced
By Florence Wetzel
The Jordan Young Group is a terrific CD full of swing, spot-on timing, and beautiful melodies. The substitution of organist Brian Charette and guitarist Yotam Silberstein for the usual quartet line-up of bass and piano gives drummer Young's group a sonorous, spacious sound, and the disc's tasteful song selection nicely displays the musicians' considerable gifts.

“JF Blues” is one of the album's best tracks, with the rich feel of classic Blue Note hard bop despite being an original from tenor saxophonist Joe Sucato. The tune highlights the quartet's ability to be simultaneously fresh and traditional, and also displays Young's excellent cymbal work-- perfectly steady and light--and Silberstein's funky and tasteful guitar work. The organ is a curious instrument: just a little too much force can tip it over into the bombastic, and yet Charette demonstrates a wonderful touch, mining the instrument's full range throughout the CD.

Another highlight is “My One and Only Love,” a number that will be familiar to Coltrane fans. Sucato perfectly captures the melody's gentleness as well as its quiet yearning. Clearly a musician worth watching, he has a milk chocolaty tone and solos that are both lyrical and thoughtful. Sucato is certainly one of Coltrane's heirs, and yet he manages to make this classic ballad his own.

An intriguing aspect of the CD are Charette's four songs, cryptically named “PiNGs”--each a delightfully squiggly soundscape, with abstract electronic lines and colorful bits of noise. Ranging from one to two minutes, they are interspersed throughout the more straight-ahead numbers and showcase the group's range. These tunes could very well be seeds for another CD, where the group stretches out and fully explores the ideas peeking out from these four “PiNGs.”

Best of all, joyfulness pervades the set, conveying the musicians' sheer delight in playing this music. Altogether this is pleasing, sophisticated jazz, deserving of a wide audience.


Track Listing: H and H; Every Time We Say Goodbye; PinGs 1; Jean de Fleur; Claudes Monet; PinGs 2; Afro-Centric; JF Blues; PinGs 3; My One and Only Love; Angola; PinGs 4.

Personnel: Joe Sucato: tenor sax; Brian Charette: Hammond B-3 organ; Yotam Silberstein: guitar; Jordan Young: drums.
- All About Jazz

CD Reviews: The Jordan Young Group
Posted by: editoron Thursday, December 02, 2010 - 09:39 AM
By: Edward Blanco

The Jordan Young Group is the self-titled debut from New York-based drummer Jordan Young who has been busy making a name for himself in the vibrant New York jazz scene. Armed with a masters degree from the Manhattan School of Music, Young is an educator by profession who also performs as a sideman as well as leading his own eclectic group on this first outing. The Jordan Young Group is a non-standard quartet void of the piano or bass instruments in favor of the organ, guitar and a saxophone sound. Unlike the organ trios of the past, Young replaces the bass role with guitarist Yotam Silberstein and adds Joe Sucato on the tenor saxophone with Brian Charette leading much of the music on the organ.

The music is straightforward melding elements of traditional jazz with a touch of the blues and a portion of modern and avant garde jazz as demonstrated by the four brief “PiNGs” interludes on the disc. There are some notable cover tunes that sound quite differently here, much more creative and challenging. Beginning with Pat Metheny's “H and H,” the drummer introduces this one with a flurry on the sticks and sprite playing by Sucato, makes this one a nice hard-driving frame. Cole Porter's standard “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” enjoys a a new fresh treatment with the saxophonist delivering some of his best chops.

One of the livelier tracks has to be Young's interpretation of the Duke Pearson classic “Jean de Fleur” on which Charette shows off much of his appreciable talents on the Hammond B 3 organ. The Joe Henderson composition “Afro-Centric” swings with a measure of authority as one of the best tunes on the repertoire. But just as good, maybe even better, is the audacious rendition of the iconic jazz standard “My One and Only Love” qualifying as the only ballad-like number on the album, is an absolutely beautiful piece. “JF Blues,” a Sucato composition, is the only blues number but a rather spicy blues at that.

As debut albums go, The Jordan Young Group just may be one of the better new discs out there. There may be various reasons for this and one of those reasons is because this album is not really about Jordan Young and his command of the drums—its about the music and the music here is modern, engaging and colorful.

Year: 2010
Label: Self Produced
Artist Web: www.jordanyoung.net
- EJazz News

Jordan Young Group
Jordan Young Group | Self Produced
By Ernest Barteldes
On their self-titled debut. New York-based Jordan Young and his group go through a mix of different sounds, from a straight-ahead Hammond-based version of Cole Porter's “Every Time We Say Goodbye” to the more experimental “PinGs”--four short interludes spread throughout the disc that hint at the band's desire to tackle contemporary material while still keeping their admitted 1960s organ trio vibe.

The musicians demonstrate great synchronicity. On “Claudes Monet,” guitarist Yotam Silberstein and saxophonist Joe Sucato trade several licks before Silberstein contributes an individual solo. The guitarist's subtle technique is reminiscent of Joe Pass, who also had the ability to stand out without overshadowing the other musicians in a band. The bandleader himself is not showy, preferring to keep his drumming within the rhythm section, adding a few accents here and there without dominating the sound.

“Afro-Centric” has a dubious title. While the group might have been expected to explore African or Afro-Cuban sounds, what's heard, instead, is the influence of early funk, especially in the rhythm section. That isn't exactly a disappointment, as the tune serves as a great showcase for Sucato and Silberstein, who present great individual moments. Organist Brian Charette keeps a solid backbeat with Young, allowing the two soloists to exercise their creativity. “Jf Blues” sounds like a jam made on the spot; even what seems as a minor mistake is heard in the opening chords, but that just enhances the spontaneity of the moment.

Another memorable track is the group's take on Guy Wood/Robert Mellin's classic “My One And Only Love,” popularized by John Coltrane. This group's arrangement, however, seems more inspired by Sting's cover, from the soundtrack to the 1995 film Leaving Las Vegas, and is one of the few tracks featuring a solo from Charette, who shares the spotlight with Silberstein.

The Jordan Young Group doesn't make the mistake of trying to sound too eclectic, sticking to what it knows, instead, and excelling at it. They are all great musicians, without attempting to outshine each other, making this group one worth paying attention to.


Track Listing: H and H; Every Time We Say Goodbye; PinGs 1; Jean de Fleur; Claudes Monet; PinGs 2; Afro-Centric; JF Blues; PinGs 3; My One And Only Love; Angola; PinGs 4.

Personnel: Joe Sucato: tenor sax; Brian Charette: Hammond B-3 organ; Yotam Silberstein: guitar; Jordan Young: drums.
- All About Jazz