Jump to content

Dexter Gordon


Alon Marcus

Recommended Posts

There's one I'm curious about, mainly from the Bennink-fanatic perspective, but the double LP on Catfish from Amsterdam's Paradiso looks pretty cool. Any thoughts? I think it was reissued on Affinity but can't recall.

I have the Affinity double LP, which I haven't listened to in a long time, but as I recall it is very good. What I remember about it was the greater-than-usual intensity in Dexter's playing. Definitely worth investigating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 406
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Guest akanalog

cliffiordde, i also find the gordon quartet dates on BN seriously boring. don't sweat it. well i mean the clark higgins warren quartet. "our man in paris" is hot.

i also DO like gordon's 70s work a lot better from what i have heard.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No offense to Clifford or akanalog, I just don't see how the BN material could be deemed boring. That stuff is just so vibrant, so swinging. Different strokes, I guess. Have you listened to the Prestige box. Some great material there. Just listened to Discs 7 and 8 today, tremendous.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For me it's the other way around, I love most of Dexter's Blue Notes and find his Prestige dates boring.

I agree inasmuch as I prefer the Blue Notes. But I don't find the Prestige dates boring at all, maybe just a little more predictable, although there are moments where Dex seems to "wake up" a bit and assert himself.

Sometimes these "moments" are more a result of the supporting players than Dex himself.

IMHO, I wouldn't call any of it "boring", though. :)

EDIT: Dexter Gordon posesses an immediately indentifiable sound/style, something which seems to be increasingly rare with sax players (and horn players in general) these days. IMHO that in itself is quite an accomplishment; I couldn't EVER think of him as boring! I do understand that some don't dig him, and that's fine- different strokes and all that!

Edited by Free For All
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the DG Blue Notes. Got the boxed set a few years ago. Also recently got a couple of the Black Lions, and have been enjoying those. Dex sounds like he is playing exactly what he wants to play, exactly when he wants to play it. So I guess if one is not digging it, it's because you don't like what Dexter likes, 'cause he's giving it to you just the way he wants it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's just "go" and "a swingin affair" i was agreeing with cliffoord on as far as being dull dates, IMO.

Funny, I love those two records. Some of my favorite rhythm section playing for that genre.

Feel free to mail me your original deep groove pressings, if they're bugging you. :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

it's just "go" and "a swingin affair" i was agreeing with cliffoord on as far as being dull dates, IMO.

Our Man in Paris is nice, true, it was more the Clark/Higgins/Dex stuff I was fading. Which is funny, because I usually like Sonny Clark quite a bit, not to mention Higgins. Definitely due for a re-listen to those, as well as more of the later stuff that I'm especially curious about that material.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From what I remember - REMEMBER - the Dex BNs that I was referring to had less bite than I like with my easy swing. I like a gruff, tarnished tenor sound like Ike Quebec or Hal Singer (a recent discovery) when the tempos are medium-to-slow. When the tempos are high, I like the "dogs barking" of Trane, Gilmore, Cliff Jordan, Griff, etc. Then there's Newk, who doesn't really fit in anywhere here, but I like him.

Maybe I was looking for something else in Dex rather than just looking at Dex, but now my curiosity has piqued my own self-criticism, so it looks like I know where my money should go (and not "my mouth").

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 11 months later...

This may have been mentioned earlier (haven't read the whole thread), but Dex's duet (completely sans rhythm section) with Al Cohn entitled "On the Trail" on Silver Blue is excellent. It's really interesting to just hear two tenors going back and forth, one creating "rhythm" while the other solos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

How do you pronounce "Humair"? I've always said "You-Mare", or is it "Hue-Mare", or something else entirely?

Regardless, I do love his playing!

Wow, I just looked up his bio and he's nearly 70! Is he still active? He's sure participated in a lot of great music over his lifetime. :tup

Humair is still very much active. As a musician, also as an abstract painter, and a gourmet among other occupations.

Humair is pronounced 'Uhuu-meir'

Edited by brownie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

One more Dexter video...

http://www.dailymotion.com/visited/search/...4_dexter-gordon

Filmed at Copenhagen's Cafe Montmartre playing 'Those Were the Days' and 'Fried Bananas' with Kenny Drew on piano, NHOP on bass and Makaya Ntoshoko on drums.

The video carries the logo of the French TV channel 'M6' which had a weekly jazz show several years ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 years later...

Bump.

I've really gotten in to Dexter Gordon's music recently. I've only recently gotten in to Sonny Clark and that lead me back to Go, an album i traded years ago. I don't think there's ever been an artist that i've slept on more fully, and there's been many. I'm still only about halfway through reading this thread, but it's been really interesting reading the various opinions. I don't really have anything much to add right now, just felt the need to express what i'm diggin at the moment. I must say i'm really enjoying the Prestige stuff that i've heard... I currently have:

Daddy Plays the Horn

Dexter Calling

Go

A Swingin Affair

Our Man In Paris

More Power

The Panther

Jumpin Blues

I'm planning on checking out his forties stuff next and then some of the Columbia stuff. Might possibly get the Columbia box if it comes down in price. The Steeplechases are the final frontier, although i might look at cherry picking a few before getting in to the Columbias.

Edited by xybert
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...