Taft Jordan is someone who should have done a lot more recording as a leader, but regrettably, the swing trumpeter recorded only a handful of albums. One of them was 1961's Mood Indigo, a tribute to Duke Ellington (Jordan's employer from 1943 to1947) which was out of print for many years but was finally reissued on CD in 1999. That year, Fantasy turned Mood Indigo into a 68-minute CD by adding six 1960 recordings from the Swingsville All-Stars, a sextet that united Jordan with tenor saxman Al Sears (another Ellington associate), alto saxman Hilton Jefferson, pianist Don Abney, bassist Wendall Marshall, and drummer Gus Johnson. Unlike the Swingsville All-Stars' self-titled LP, the original Mood Indigo LP was issued under Jordan's own name; the sidemen were guitarist Kenny Burrell, pianist Richard Wyands, bassist Joe Benjamin, and drummer Charlie Persip. Both sessions are excellent, and each underscores the fact that Jordan was an expressive, highly accessible soloist who was as swinging as he was melodic. In fact, his lyricism on familiar Ellington pieces like "Sophisticated Lady," "Mood Indigo," "I Didn't Know About You," and "In a Sentimental Mood" is simply gorgeous. This reissue is highly recommended to lovers of small-group swing. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
