In the Wee Small Hours
takes its title from the standard
Sax Gordon
covers on this 2014 set for
Delmark
but it also sums up the album's mood: this laid-back set of soul-jazz is designed for lazy late nights. Playing with organist
Alberto Marsico
and drummer
Alessandro Minetto
,
Gordon
keeps things simple and mellow, riding supple grooves on lived-in tunes and never relying on the big, swinging sound that characterized his earliest records. Don't call it maturation as much as a deliberate shift in tone:
decided to stretch out by taking it easy and he winds up with a charming little record, one that feels relaxed but never somnolent. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine