Saturday, 27 February 2021

Dexter Gordon born 27 February 1923


Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians, which included other greats such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell. Gordon's height was 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm), so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" and "Sophisticated Giant". His studio and performance career spanned over 40 years. 

As one of the great tenors to emerge from Los Angeles' Central Avenue scene, Dexter Gordon led a colourful and eventful, sometimes tragic life that included three triumphant comebacks in a four-plus-decade career. As a beloved, influential member of the bebop generation, his story (and Bud Powell's) inspired French director Bertrand Tavernier to tell a portion of it in the 1986 drama 'Round Midnight, and cast him in a lead role. 

Gordon was the top tenor saxophonist during the bop era, the possessor of his own distinctive sound, he created a large body of superior work and could successfully battle nearly anyone at a jam session. His years as a leader and co-leader at Dial, Savoy, and Blue Note were enough to make him a legend. Living in Europe for more than a dozen years, he recorded equally fine albums for Prestige, Steeplechase, and other labels, and his return to the U.S. resulted in several offerings for Columbia and Blue Note. 

Gordon was born to renowned parents in Los Angeles in 1927. His father, Dr. Frank Gordon, was among the first African American doctors in the city after graduating from Howard Medical School in Washington, D.C. in 1918. (His patients included Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton.) His mother, Gwendolyn Baker, was the daughter of Captain Edward Baker, one of the five African American Medal of Honour recipients during the Spanish–American War. Gordon began playing clarinet at age 13 and switched to saxophone two years later. While at school, he played in bands with Chico Hamilton and Buddy Collette. His first important gig was with Lionel Hampton (1940-1943) although, due to Illinois Jacquet also being in the sax section, Gordon did not get any solos. 

In 1943, he did get to stretch out on a recording session with Nat King Cole. Short stints with Lee Young, the Fletcher Henderson Orchestra, and Louis Armstrong's big band preceded his move to New York in December 1944 where he was hired for Billy Eckstine's Orchestra, trading off with Gene Ammons on Eckstine's recording of "Blowin' the Blues Away." Gordon recorded with Dizzy Gillespie ("Blue 'N' Boogie") and as a leader for Savoy before returning to Los Angeles in the summer of 1946. He was a major part of the Central Avenue scene, trading off with Wardell Gray and Teddy Edwards in many legendary tenor battles; studio recordings of "The Chase" and "The Duel" helped to document the atmosphere of the period. 


                             

After 1952, drug problems resulted in jail time and periods of inactivity during the rest of the '50s (although Gordon did record two albums in 1955). By 1960, he had recovered sufficiently to cut a core series of dates for Blue Note including Doin' Alright, Dexter Calling, Swingin' Affair and Go). After re-establishing his reputation, he moved to Europe in 1962 and remained there until 1976. While on the continent, he was in peak form -- Gordon's many Steeple Chase recordings rank with the finest work of his career and include four dates with altoist Jackie McLean. 

Gordon returned to the U.S. on an occasional basis, recording in 1965, 1969-1970, and 1972, but by then he was almost forgotten in his native land though he remained a major attraction in Europe. Given this status, it proved an odd yet welcome surprise that his return to America in 1976 was treated as a major media event; illustrated by the double-live Homecoming from his American tour and the studio date Sophisticated Giant in 1977. 

A great deal of interest was suddenly shown in the living legend, with long lines of people waiting at clubs to see him. In 1978, appearing with Johnny Griffin, he sold out Carnegie Hall. In 1978 and 1980, Gordon was the DownBeat Musician of the Year and in 1980 he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. The US Government honoured him with a Congressional Commendation, a Dexter Gordon Day in Washington DC, and a National Endowment for the Arts award for Lifetime Achievement. 

During the 1980s, Gordon was weakened by emphysema. He remained a popular attraction at concerts and festivals, although his live appearances and recording dates would soon become infrequent. Gordon's most memorable works from the decade were not in music but in film. He starred in the 1986 movie Round Midnight as "Dale Turner", an expatriate jazz musician in Paris during the late 1950s based loosely on Lester Young and Bud Powell. That portrayal earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actor four years before his death from kidney failure and cancer of the larynx in Philadelphia, on April 25, 1990, at the age of 67. 

(Edited from Allmusic & Wikipedia)

Here’s a clip from October 30, 1969.  Oscar Peterson, piano; Dexter Gordon, tenor saxophone; Same Jones, bass and Bobby Durham on drums performing You Stepped Out of a Dream. 

5 comments:

boppinbob said...

For “Dexter Gordon – Three Classic Albums Plus (Leader & Sideman)”
(Avid Jazz 2014) go here:

https://krakenfiles.com/view/842d382caa/file.html

Dexter Blows Hot And Cool
1-1 Sliver Plated 4:07
1-2 Cry Me A River 3:47
1-3 Rhythm Mad 4:31
1-4 Don't Worry About Me 3:51
1-5 I Hear Music 3:41
1-6 Bonna Rue 7:02
1-7 I Should Care 2:46
1-8 Blowin' For Dootsie 5:36
1-9 Tenderly 3:34
The Resurgence Of Dexter Gordon
1-10 Home Run 5:04
1-11 Dolo 6:14
1-12 Lovely Lisa 7:20
1-13 Affair In Havana 7:39
1-14 Jodi 6:37
1-15 Field Day 6:43
Daddy Plays The Horn
2-1 Daddy Plays The Horn 9:07
2-2 Confirmation 7:48
2-3 Darn That Dream 4:19
2-4 Number Four 4:49
2-5 Autumn In New York 6:28
2-6 You Can Depend On Me 8:59
Stan Levey - This Time The Drum's On Me
2-7 Diggin' For Diz 8:33
2-8 Ruby My Dear 3:16
2-9 Tune Up 5:55
2-10 Day In Day Out 6:19
2-11 Stanley The Steamer 6:44
2-12 This Time The Drum's On Me 6:24

The period covered by these recordings is 1955, in order of which they were recorded to whit, Daddy Plays The Horn, This Time The Drum’s On Me, plus Dexter Blows Hot And Cool. The other recording, The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon, is from 1960. During the five-year gap between these dates, Gordon did not record anything under his own name, as he was dealing with a drug problem that interfered with his ability to play, and which did cause him to be incarcerated again for a few months during this period for a parole violation.

The next release was not Gordon’s at all, but drummer Stan Levey's second album for Bethlehem. According to the liner notes, Gordon was a late addition to the session, as it already had a frontline of Conte Candoli on trumpet and Frank Rosolino on trombone. That is not to say that Gordon was not a welcome presence because he was, and the result was a real bop infused swinger.

Ted Gioia in his previously referenced book, offers the following quotation about Dexter Gordon that sums up quite nicely these sessions: “Gordon developed one of the first great modern tenor sax styles…a persuasive and immediately recognizable sound all his own.” (musicweb)

boppinbob said...

Here’s a selected discography found on just two of the many music blogs on the web. A big thank you to the credited up loaders with active links.

(1) Bluesever @ The Blues That Jazz
(2) michel @ jazz jazz

1964 - Dexter Gordon – Montmartre (2)

https://rapidgator.net/file/0c36154d7e438abdd1bacfa09f5a9f61/Dexter_Gordon_-_Montmartre_1964_(1964).rar.html

63-64 - Dexter Gordon – Live in ’63 & ’64 (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/1ABZWrB8b9hwi

1964 - Dexter Gordon – I Want More (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/xvAWGFq2b95fK

Dexter Gordon - One Flight Up (2)

https://turbobit.net/u6f8qyzgxcue.html?short_domain=turb.cc

1964 - Dexter Gordon Quartet - Cheese Cake (2)

https://dfiles.eu/files/wu7k3b96y

1965 - Dexter Gordon Quartet - Heartaches (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/DlMj6RT8b8bjy

1965 - Dexter Gordon Quintet - Ladybird (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/iI1HNlZEb8sUv

1966 – Dexter Gordon - Stella By Starligh 2)

https://turbobit.net/j30hymuu8gwn.html?short_domain=turbo.to

1969 - Dexter Gordon & Slide Hampton – A Day In Copenhagen (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/0bEYwenmb8ZMP

1970 - Dexter Gordon - The Jumpin' Blues (1)
https://yadi.sk/d/aYJJmoOr3MqFDZ

1976 - Dexter Gordon - The Comeback (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/8KAd18Lyb7Zwi

1979 - Dexter Gordon - North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/YkUod_7NH3UhZ

1980 - Dexter Gordon Quartet - Live in Vienna (2)

https://rapidgator.net/file/efc7ccbea9828b0e23fb7d9f3728bfae/Dexter_Gordon_Quartet_-_Live_in_Vienna_1980_(1980).rar.html

1991 - Dexter Gordon – Ballads (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/gwUujptyb8ykb

2006 - Dexter Gordon - Music For Lovers (1)

https://yadi.sk/d/30QLOUNFb89WG

Bob Mac said...

Many thanks for "Three Classic Albums Plus"

rev.b said...

The first thing I thought to my self was "there's way more than 3 classic albums' in his discography" and here it looks like you've linked us to most of them! Since you included the cover, might as well add:

Dexter Gordon - Our Man in Paris (Blue Note, 1963)
https://krakenfiles.com/view/5884d8da76/file.html

Many thanks for the Dexter deluge.

boppinbob said...

Thanks Rev, The more the merrier, that's what I say!
Mind you there are so many more albums available, but my spare time is limited. Hopefully like your good self someone will add to the list.
Regards, Bob.