For Dexter's 90th birthday

[Larry Kart]

per a link by Marc Myers:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgWwvaBeXf0

[Jim R]

Very nice- thanks for posting that. Identified by the uploader as dating to 1962 (Dexter left for Europe in late August of that year). This may be the earliest video of Dexter I've ever seen. Happy Birthday Dexter.

[JSngry]

UH-oh!

[ValerieB]

for anyone who is interested, there will be a live webcast tonight from Dizzy's celebrating Dexter's 90th. the NY times are 7:30 and 9:30pm. i'll be watching from LA at 4:30 and 6:30pm. access is through JALC.org

[Mark Stryker]

Dexter was the first great jazz musician I ever saw live. Fall 1977, Indiana University Memorial Union in Bloomington, Ind. George Cables, Rufus Reid, Eddie Gladden. I was 14 and already into jazz, but it still changed my life. The authority, sound and stage presence were just overwhelming to a kid who could play the heads to "Yardbird Suite," and "Billie's Bounce" and was just connecting the dots with ii V I harmony and the like. I remember part of the set list. "Gingerbread Boy," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (with Dexter reciting the first 8 bars of the lyric), a fast blues to close and something else in between. They did a second set and I think "It's Your or No One" was part of that and, if memory is not playing tricks, Dexter played something on soprano.

Saw Dexter several more times, but that was the best. Of course, he always phrased behind the beat, but maybe 5 years later I heard him in Chicago and I remember the way he played "Moment's Notice" was so far on the backside that it sounded like the rhythm section had lapped him!

Faves: "Go," "A Swingin' Affair," "Our Man in Paris," "The Panther," "Generation," "The Apartment," "Bouncin' with Dex," "Swiss Nights Vol 1" -- I can't tell you how much I listened to those records when I was young. Lot of lessons in Dexter's playing -- melody, warmth, importance of sound. You know, there's a reason why, say, Kurt Elling has based a number of vocalise pieces on Dexter solos -- the phrasing is so songful.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Mark Stryker

[Jim R]

Dexter was the first great jazz musician I ever saw live. Fall 1977, Indiana University Memorial Union in Bloomington, Ind.

I discovered Dexter right around the same time, and in a similar setting, but not live. It was "Jazz At The Maintenance Shop" (Iowa State U.), which I saw on PBS tv. As I was wont to do back then in such situations, I grabbed my parents' portable audio cassette recorder, and taped most of the show using an external mic. I still remember when my dad came home that evening, and the sound of him opening the garage door and pulling the car in became part of the recording I would be listening to for years.

[Mark Stryker]

Dexter was the first great jazz musician I ever saw live. Fall 1977, Indiana University Memorial Union in Bloomington, Ind.

I discovered Dexter right around the same time, and in a similar setting, but not live. It was "Jazz At The Maintenance Shop" (Iowa State U.), which I saw on PBS tv. As I was wont to do back then in such situations, I grabbed my parents' portable audio cassette recorder, and taped most of the show using an external mic. I still remember when my dad came home that evening, and the sound of him opening the garage door and pulling the car in became part of the recording I would be listening to for years.

I remember that series. In addition to Dexter, there are shows with Bill Evans, Woody Shaw and Phil Woods. Very rare to see serious jazz on TV in those days and no VCRs -- talk about appointment TV! There are clips on YouTube. I remember at one point in the Bill Evans show between tunes he's complaining about the on-stage sound and says scarastically something like, "I'm sure glad we did a sound check." It's the first time I can remember being cognizant of a certain strand of dry/dark humor from a musician.

Edited February 27, 2013 by Mark Stryker

[Mark Stryker]

FWIW, here's that Bill Evans moment. Comes at the 23 minute mark ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6UYIxLmfW8&playnext=1&list=PL97C417AA8C698437&feature=results_main

Edited February 27, 2013 by Mark Stryker

[Gheorghe]

Dexter was the first great jazz musician I ever saw live. Fall 1977, Indiana University Memorial Union in Bloomington, Ind. George Cables, Rufus Reid, Eddie Gladden. I was 14 and already into jazz, but it still changed my life. The authority, sound and stage presence were just overwhelming to a kid who could play the heads to "Yardbird Suite," and "Billie's Bounce" and was just connecting the dots with ii V I harmony and the like. I remember part of the set list. "Gingerbread Boy," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (with Dexter reciting the first 8 bars of the lyric), a fast blues to close and something else in between. They did a second set and I think "It's Your or No One" was part of that and, if memory is not playing tricks, Dexter played something on soprano.

Saw Dexter several more times, but that was the best. Of course, he always phrased behind the beat, but maybe 5 years later I heard him in Chicago and I remember the way he played "Moment's Notice" was so far on the backside that it sounded like the rhythm section had lapped him!

Faves: "Go," "A Swingin' Affair," "Our Man in Paris," "The Panther," "Generation," "The Apartment," "Bouncin' with Dex," "Swiss Nights Vol 1" -- I can't tell you how much I listened to those records when I was young. Lot of lessons in Dexter's playing -- melody, warmth, importance of sound. You know, there's a reason why, say, Kurt Elling has based a number of vocalise pieces on Dexter solos -- the phrasing is so songful.

Very interesting review, saw Dexter "live" around the same time, maybe a little later. the first time I saw him he opened his set with "It´s You Or No One", which he announced as "a CBS plagiat". Then followed "Fried Bananas" (Dexter: All about something very good to eat), the inevitable More Than You Know (I think he played it all the times I saw him), and the fast Blues "Backstages" with a long solo by Eddie Gladden.

Later, in 1981 he was still very strong, played a fanstastic "Gingerbread Boy" and a long "Body and Soul", which was an encore I think.

The last time I saw him in 1983, and I think he had slowed down a bit. Started with "Secret Love", then "Good Bait" at a somewhat slow tempo, More than you know (as always), and "Jelly Jelly Jelly" about the same way he does it on "Swiss Nites", but anyway, on that last occasion he didn´t play as much, it took almost 10 minutes until he came on stage, after his rhythm section had played 3 tunes, which I don´t remember since I was waiting for the chief.....,

I´m waitin for the book his widow is workin on, will be great to read it....

[Mark Stryker]

Dexter was the first great jazz musician I ever saw live. Fall 1977, Indiana University Memorial Union in Bloomington, Ind. George Cables, Rufus Reid, Eddie Gladden. I was 14 and already into jazz, but it still changed my life. The authority, sound and stage presence were just overwhelming to a kid who could play the heads to "Yardbird Suite," and "Billie's Bounce" and was just connecting the dots with ii V I harmony and the like. I remember part of the set list. "Gingerbread Boy," "Polka Dots and Moonbeams" (with Dexter reciting the first 8 bars of the lyric), a fast blues to close and something else in between. They did a second set and I think "It's Your or No One" was part of that and, if memory is not playing tricks, Dexter played something on soprano.

Saw Dexter several more times, but that was the best. Of course, he always phrased behind the beat, but maybe 5 years later I heard him in Chicago and I remember the way he played "Moment's Notice" was so far on the backside that it sounded like the rhythm section had lapped him!

Faves: "Go," "A Swingin' Affair," "Our Man in Paris," "The Panther," "Generation," "The Apartment," "Bouncin' with Dex," "Swiss Nights Vol 1" -- I can't tell you how much I listened to those records when I was young. Lot of lessons in Dexter's playing -- melody, warmth, importance of sound. You know, there's a reason why, say, Kurt Elling has based a number of vocalise pieces on Dexter solos -- the phrasing is so songful.

Very interesting review, saw Dexter "live" around the same time, maybe a little later. the first time I saw him he opened his set with "It´s You Or No One", which he announced as "a CBS plagiat". Then followed "Fried Bananas" (Dexter: All about something very good to eat), the inevitable More Than You Know (I think he played it all the times I saw him), and the fast Blues "Backstages" with a long solo by Eddie Gladden.

Later, in 1981 he was still very strong, played a fanstastic "Gingerbread Boy" and a long "Body and Soul", which was an encore I think.

The last time I saw him in 1983, and I think he had slowed down a bit. Started with "Secret Love", then "Good Bait" at a somewhat slow tempo, More than you know (as always), and "Jelly Jelly Jelly" about the same way he does it on "Swiss Nites", but anyway, on that last occasion he didn´t play as much, it took almost 10 minutes until he came on stage, after his rhythm section had played 3 tunes, which I don´t remember since I was waiting for the chief.....,

I´m waitin for the book his widow is workin on, will be great to read it....

Nice memories.

Thinking back, I do remember hearing him play an epic "Body and Soul" when Kirk Lightsey was on piano. He really made that into the centerpiece of a set, using Coltrane's arrangement (vamp on the A sections; "Giant Steps:" substitutions on the bridge) and playing not only the melody but then playing two or three choruses of improvisation. And speaking of "Good Bait," when I heard Dexter at the Jazz Showcase once in college I wanted to get his autograph and the only paper I had was a folder of music, so I grabbed the lead sheet I had copied out of "Good Bait" and he signed that!

Edited March 1, 2013 by Mark Stryker

[Gheorghe]

Hi Mark !

Yes, about "Body and Soul" it is true Dexter used Coltrane´s arrangement of that tune with the vamp in the A sections. He did it on the same way on his fantastic album "Manhattan Suite", which was his latest album during the time I first heard him live. And in 1985 on the sound track of "Round Midnight", he still played it that way.

I think, Dexter often played songs on live occasions in a manner similar to his recorded versions, like "Good Bait": I got an album of Dexter at the Paradise Club in Amsterdam 1969, where he plays a very long and slow version of Good Bait. That´s also what he did in 1983, though I was quite astonished, because as I remember, "Good Bait" was not on the set lists of the concerts I heard between 1978-1981.

Great story about the way you got his autograph.