Dexter Gordon and the Library of Congress

[Hardbopjazz]

It couldn't happen to a better musician.

Dear Fans and Friends,

We are proud to announce that on April 16, 2010 the Library of Congress will officially acquire the Dexter Gordon Recorded Sound and Video Collection into its archive. This is a major step in the advancement of Dexter Gordon's legacy and is the result of many years of hard work on the part of Dex Music LLC (formerly Dex Music).

If you happen to be in the Washington D.C. area and would like to be part of this event, please send an email with your full name to: info@dextergordon.com.

Thank you for taking part in this wonderful celebration.

Official Press Release Below

Dex Music LLC

http://DexterGordon.com

Event Details

Friday, April 16, 2010 10:30 AM -

Announcement of the Acquisition

Monday, April 19, 2010 7:00 PM -

Library of Congress Jazz Film Series - "Round Midnight" presentation by Maxine Gordon

Address:

Library of Congress

Mary Pickford Theater

James Madison Building, 3rd Floor

101 Independence Ave. S.E.

Washington, D.C.

(One block from the Capitol South metro station)

RSVP with your name to: info@dextergordon.com

Official Press Release - Library of Congress

Dexter Gordon

Considered one of the world's greatest tenor saxophonists, jazz legend Dexter Gordon (1923-1990) was once quoted as saying, "Jazz to me is a living music. It's a music that since its beginning has expressed the feelings, the dreams, hopes, of the people." The Library of Congress has taken steps to ensure the survival of Gordon's musical heritage by acquiring more than a thousand items from his career spanning more than five decades.

The Collection

The collection comprises a wide range of Gordon's work from all phases of his career. Consisting primarily of sound recordings, the collection also includes interviews and items from Gordon's film and television appearances.

Time and Place

The Library will celebrate the acquisition of this invaluable record of Gordon's cultural legacy in a special program at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 16, in the Mary Pickford Theater on the third floor of the James Madison Building, 101 Independence Avenue, S.E., Washington, D.C. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are needed.

Speaker, Archivist: Maxine Gordon

The featured speaker will be Maxine Gordon, whose academic career as an archivist and historian was shaped by her husband's request to preserve his works. "It was Dexter Gordon's wish to have his collection housed at the Library of Congress," she said. "We want people to know what the Library is doing in support of jazz."

Maxine Gordon, who is working on her doctorate in history at New York University, is the senior interviewer and jazz researcher at the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. She has written on various aspects of jazz and is currently writing a biography about her husband and his legacy.

Items on Display

Items from the collection will be on display at the event. Among them will be a short video of Dexter Gordon in Europe, which features his last public performance. In addition, unreleased gems of the iconic saxophonist's work will be showcased.

Digitization and Preservation

"With the acquisition of the Dexter Gordon Collection, the Library has secured the recorded legacy of one of the great jazz saxophonists," said Eugene DeAnna, head of the Library's Recorded Sound Section. "Most of these great recordings exist only on what are now obsolete formats, so our job will be to catalog and digitally preserve them to archival standards at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation, making them accessible to listeners in our Capitol Hill reading room while sustaining them for posterity."

Library of Congress

Founded in 1800, the Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution. It seeks to spark imagination and creativity and to further human understanding and wisdom by providing access to knowledge through its magnificent collections, programs and exhibitions. Many of the Library's rich resources can be accessed through its website at www.loc.gov and via interactive exhibitions on a personalized website at myLOC.gov. The Library's audio-visual collections are preserved at the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation, a state-of-the-art facility where the nation's library acquires, preserves and provides access to the world's largest and most comprehensive collection of films, television programs, radio broadcasts and sound recordings (www.loc.gov/avconservation/).

[marcello]

Maxine Gordon, who is working on her doctorate in history at New York University, is the senior interviewer and jazz researcher at the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. She has written on various aspects of jazz and is currently writing a biography about her husband and his legacy.

I look forward to this.

Maxine's experience in the music business and jazz society, including her history with Dexter, will be well worth reading.

[ValerieB]

Maxine Gordon, who is working on her doctorate in history at New York University, is the senior interviewer and jazz researcher at the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. She has written on various aspects of jazz and is currently writing a biography about her husband and his legacy.

I look forward to this.

MaAmen, Marcello!xine's experience in the music business and ja

Edited April 3, 2010 by ValerieB

[bertrand]

I was planning on going but thought it was open to the public. Glad you noted that a reservation is needed. LC is a 15 minute walk from my office. I used to go there a lot, but that's for another thread, another time.

Bertrand.

Edited April 4, 2010 by bertrand

[ValerieB]

very sorry for the above post. my computer is messed up, especially on this website. it's a drag. sorry, again. just wanted to say "amen" to what Marcello said about Maxine!

[Patrick]

I just tried to call in for a reservation for the screening on Monday night, and listened to a recorded message indicating that they take no reservations for their jazz film screenings (incl Dexter Gordon). It's first come, first serve. Anyone know offhand (I'm too lazy to research this right now) how large the Mary Pickford theater is?

I will try to make it to the screening. Won't be able to attend the acquisition announcement on Friday.