Within the first anxious moments of the Terry Gordon Quintet's "Wakeup Call", you know immediately that it's not elevator jazz.  The starting point, "Deep Brindle", begins with an urgent drum-trumpet workout that leads into a furious sax ride, followed by an explosive, frenzied guitar solo.  "Runnin' Around" really swings, while the gorgeous title track, "Wakeup Call", finds its groove.  From turbulent progressive tunes to flawless traditional-style material, their blend of chaos and clarity is remarkable.

From the inspiring virtuosity of Gordon's trumpet, the fiery drums of Jonathan Peirce and burning lead lines from guitarist Gordon Tibbits to Joe Dragone's caterwauling sax and the capable bass of Eric Peirce, the Terry Gordon Quintet are an extraordinary group.

"Wakeup Call" is jazz in the truest, freest sense.  Though the arrangements are fresh and inventive, there's nothing dramatically new or groundbreaking in it.  The trick is that the quintet's passionate playing makes it sound new.  Seek out this band and their CD.
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"Wakeup Call" includes seven bright, crisp, excitingly creative tunes, which range all over the jazz idiom -- mainstream, cool, fusion, hard bop -- with a distinct and tight interplay of musicians.
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"Wakeup Call" is a tasteful new compact disc by the Terry Gordon Quintet.  All of the numbers are original compositions, five by the leader, one by Eric Peirce, and one by Christopher Rose.  The Opening Track, "Deep Brindle", is a 15-minute jam with a traditional cutting session between horn player Terry and saxophonist Joe Dragone, then between Eric Peirce and Gordon Tibbits.  The title tune is a delightful dip into the bop era, a staight-ahead uptempo gem by Eric Peirce.  There is fine harmony in the introduction then a goodly flow of solo improvisation by all the musicians.  The smooth trumpet and driving saxophone, honks and all, are more to my liking than much of the too-introspective playing of young jazz players.  "Mauve" is a nice ballad by Terry with appealing teamwork and solos throughout.  The same can be said for the finale, also by Terry, "Focus 38", which breaks into a faster signature for its closing.  Good music.
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With the release of its first C.D., "Wakeup Call", the Terry Gordon Quintet reaches for its roots with inspired toe-tapping originality, and provides a daring compilation of jazz compositions which mix genres.  Starting out with the sometimes spacey 14-minute roller-coaster instrumental "Deep Brindle", the quintet takes listeners on a journey through recurring brass riffs and underwater electric guitar.  Together, the horns intertwine and put listeners in a trance, only to be occasionally shaken by the conciously different reverbed guitar played by Gordon Tibbits.  In "Mauve", the funky-jazzy style makes way for the harder-edge, story telling blues of Tibbits' distorted view with a rock and roll feel, accompanied by a heavier bass and drum line.  The band displays a wide range of emotions throughout the songs, with promising excitement on the energetic title track, all the way to the daring-for-stability on the short track, "Pursuit".  "Focus 38" Takes listeners back a step, making for a leisurely slide down to the end of the album.  On a whole, this album is strikingly different than the sea of similar songs which flood the airwaves.  "Wakeup Call" will not put a hot hit single on commercial radio stations.  The album is a refreshing look at the past and present, and would be a welcome addition in most any music collection.
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