Proper Gordon fans who remember the heyday of ‘The Chase’, his scintillating tenor battle with Wardell Gray, should well rejoice at a similar set-up here that pairs him with Al Cohn. But that’s not the only selling point, for if the jousting reeds don’t float your boat then the clash of the two brass in the form of Blue Mitchell and the little known Sam Noto is also worthy of attention, especially when they embark on contrapuntal slaloms against the other horns. As with other releases on the Xanadu label the stall is laid out very clearly from the outset – post-bop workouts announced by a classic such as Tadd Dameron’s endearingly jaunty ‘Lady Bird’. The bonus disc of Silver Blue is also a quality session that climaxes with the epic jam of the title track. Everybody has a chance to burn and the energy is quite irresistible.