Sax Gordon: In the Wee Small Hours

With a tenor saxophone as its centerpiece and featured accompaniment by a Hammond organ and light, tight percussion, the collective works of jazz artist Sax Gordon are unapologetically old school in style and delivery. Laid neck deep into a specific subgenre of music, Gordon and company do an excellent job of standing out from the crowd of other musicians in their lane with a laidback, carefree nature with the liberty to explore a composition’s ins and outs. Though Gordon and company (Alberto Morisco on Hammond and Alessandro Minetto on drums) tend to meander their way about a track, it is never done without purpose. Focusing primarily on ballads from the Great American Songbook like “Blue and Sentimental” and the titular “In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning”, Gordon and his companions never get quite past third base when driving In the Wee Small Hours home as an album for the everyman. However, it is authentic to a tee and largely without faults for those looking for a relaxed drive through impeccable jazz classics.