Great Players DEXTER GORDON

[young_col]

Did anyone else catch the BBC Radio3 Jazz Library yesterday on Dexter Gordon?
In many years of listening to jazz I have tended to overlook him, and never got to see him play, just accident I guess. A great programme on a stonking player - almost every track you could imagine being in a club on 52nd Street. Brilliantly guided by Alyn Shipton and knowledgeable Soweto Kinch, it was very easy to hear Dexter as a link back to Illinois Jaquet, Hawkins, Young, Webster (and even two separate quotes from the Alphonse Picou High Society clarinet break); and forward to 'Trane, Shorter...

Dexter is now well on my list of CDs to collect.
Colin

 

[littleplum]

Hi YC

Check out spotify and a ton of Dexter is free. Put Dexter into the radio section and you will be introduced to a load of other players. Great way of expanding your listening with out spending loads of hard earned saxophone purchasing tokens!

Cheers

Dave

 

[littleplum]

Whoops Sorry!

 

[Flipper2008]

Check out the Film "Round Midnight" with Dexter in , its amazing.

Flip

 

[young_col]

Thanks chaps.
Dave - Spotify looks good and I have downloaded and need to tinker to get it running correctly (says it is being blocked by a firewall, but it's not). BTW do you teach in a school in Leicester? I used to know the city quite well for various reasons.

Flip - yes, it's out on DVD and I shall get someone to buy it for me when a birthday comes up!

YC

 

[mrjulian]

Thanks for highlighting this. I usually try to pick up Jazz Library on listen again - I will make a point of getting this week's.

Dex is my favourite tenor player. I love his tone. Funny how someone with so strident a tone makes ballads sound so ballady! I can't hope to emulate him - just enjoy his music.

Round Midnight is a great film - I'd recomment it to anyone. Also it prompted me to search out Francis Paudras' book "Dance of the Infidels - a Portrait of Bud Powell". A great read, and a fascinating insight to Paris / Blue Note / what these guys went through to give us this great music. Truly humbling.

 

[dooce]

Yes, I caught it as well, driving home from a Corby sax-group session. Not really my stuff but couldn't help picking up on the sheer exuberance of his playing. Also really appreciated Soweto Kinch's knowledge and input to the programme.