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Dexter Gordon | |
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 Gordon in concert inToronto on August 19, 1978 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Long Tall Dexter |
| Born | Dexter Keith Gordon (1923-02-27)February 27, 1923 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Died | April 25, 1990(1990-04-25) (aged 67) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupations |
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| Instruments |
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| Years active | 1940–1986 |
| Labels | |
| Website | dextergordon |
Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an Americanjazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential earlybebop musicians. 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 more than 40 years.
Gordon's sound was commonly characterized as being "large" and spacious and he had a tendency to play behind the beat. He inserted musical quotes into his solos, with sources as diverse as "Happy Birthday" and well-known melodies from the operas ofWagner. Quoting from various musical sources is not unusual in jazz improvisation, but Gordon did it frequently enough to make it a hallmark of his style. One of his major influences wasLester Young.[1] Gordon, in turn, was an early influence onJohn Coltrane andSonny Rollins.[2] Rollins and Coltrane then influenced Gordon's playing as he exploredhard bop and modal playing during the 1960s.
Gordon had a genial and humorous stage presence. He was an advocate of playing to communicate with the audience,[3] which was his musical approach as well. One of his idiosyncratic rituals was to recite lyrics from each ballad before playing it. In an interview pianist Dave Bass recalled, "Dexter would get up to the microphone, holding his horn horizontally, and he'd say 'You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh.' It was a little bit of a shtick, but it was how he approached a song, and I remember that."[4]
A photograph byHerman Leonard of Gordon taking a smoke break at theRoyal Roost in 1948 is one of the iconic images in jazz photography.[5] Cigarettes were a recurring theme on covers of Gordon's albums.
Gordon was nominated for anAcademy Award forBest Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in theBertrand Tavernier filmRound Midnight (Warner Bros, 1986), and he won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist, for the soundtrack albumThe Other Side of Round Midnight (Blue Note Records, 1986). He also had a cameo role in the 1990 filmAwakenings. In 2018, Gordon's albumGo (Blue Note, 1962) was selected by theLibrary of Congress for preservation in theNational Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".[6]
Dexter Keith Gordon was born on February 27, 1923, inLos Angeles,California.[7] His father, Frank Gordon, one of the first African-American medical doctors in Los Angeles, arrived in 1918 after graduating fromHoward University Medical School inWashington, D.C. Among his patients wereDuke Ellington andLionel Hampton. Dexter's mother, Gwendolyn Baker, was the daughter of CaptainEdward Lee Baker, Jr. one of the five African-AmericanMedal of Honor recipients in theSpanish–American War.[8]
Gordon began his study of music with theclarinet at the age of 13, then switched to thealto saxophone at 15, and finally to thetenor saxophone at 17.[8][7] He studied withmulti-instrumentalist Lloyd Reese while attendingThomas Jefferson High School, and studied with the school’s band director, Sam Browne.[9] While still at school, he played in bands with such contemporaries asChico Hamilton andBuddy Collette.[10]
In 1942, Gordon was drafted into theU.S. Army following America's entry in theSecond World War. He was assigned to theSignal Corps for two years and was stationed inNorth Africa, where he served as aradio operator and played trumpet in amilitary band.[11] Between December 1940 and 1943, Gordon was a member ofLionel Hampton's band,[7] playing in a saxophone section alongsideIllinois Jacquet andMarshal Royal. During 1944, Gordon was featured in theFletcher Henderson band, followed by theLouis Armstrong band, before joiningBilly Eckstine.[7] The1942–44 musicians' strike curtailed the recording of the Hampton, Henderson, and Armstrong bands; however, they were recorded onV-Discs produced by the Army for broadcast and distribution among overseas troops. In 1943, he was featured, alongsideHarry "Sweets" Edison, in recordings underNat Cole for a small label not affected by the strike.
By late 1944, Gordon was resident in New York, a regular at bebop jam sessions, and a featured soloist in the Billy Eckstine big band ("If That's The Way You Feel", "I Want To Talk About You", "Blowin' the Blues Away", "Opus X", "I'll Wait and Pray", "The Real Thing Happened To Me", "Lonesome Lover Blues", "I Love the Rhythm in a Riff"). During early 1945, he was featured on recordings byDizzy Gillespie ("Blue 'n' Boogie", "Groovin' High") andCharles Thompson ("Takin' Off", "If I Had You", "20th Century Blues", "The Street Beat"). In late 1945, Gordon was recording under his own name for theSavoy label. His Savoy recordings during 1945–46 includedBlow Mr. Dexter,Dexter's Deck,Dexter's Minor Mad,Long Tall Dexter,Dexter Rides Again,I Can't Escape From You,andDexter Digs In.
He returned to Los Angeles in late 1946 and in 1947 was leading sessions forRoss Russell'sDial label (Mischievous Lady, Lullaby in Rhythm, The Chase, Iridescence, It's the Talk of the Town, Bikini, A Ghost of a Chance, Sweet and Lovely). After his return to Los Angeles, he became known for his saxophone duels with fellow tenormanWardell Gray, which were a popular concert attraction documented in recordings made between 1947 and 1952 (The Hunt, Move, The Chase, The Steeplechase).[7]The Hunt gained literary fame from its mention inJack Kerouac'sOn The Road, which also contains descriptions of wild tenormen jamming in Los Angeles.Cherokee, Byas a Drink,and Disorder at the Border are other live recordings of the Gray/Gordon duo from the same concert (all issued on the albumThe Hunt in 1977). In December 1947, Gordon recorded again with the Savoy label (Settin' the Pace, So Easy, Dexter's Riff, Dextrose, Dexter's Mood, Index, Dextivity, Wee Dot, Lion Roars). Through the mid-to-late 1940s, he continued to work as a sideman on sessions led byRussell Jacquet,Benny Carter,Ben Webster,Ralph Burns,Jimmy Rushing,Helen Humes,Gerry Mulligan,Wynonie Harris,Leo Parker, andTadd Dameron.
During the 1950s, Gordon's recorded output and live appearances declined as heroin addiction and legal troubles took their toll.[7] Gordon made a concert appearance with Wardell Gray in February 1952 (The Chase, The Steeplechase, Take the A Train, Robbins Nest, Stardust) and appeared as a sideman in a session led by Gray in June 1952 (The Rubiyat, Jungle Jungle Jump, Citizen's Bop, My Kinda Love). After an incarceration atChino Prison from 1953 to 1955, he recorded the albumsDaddy Plays the Horn andDexter Blows Hot and Cool in 1955 and played as a sideman on theStan Levey album,This Time the Drum's on Me. The latter part of the decade saw him in and out of prison until his final release from Folsom Prison in 1959. He was one of the initial sax players for theOnzy Matthewsbig band in 1959, along withCurtis Amy. Gordon continued to champion Matthews' band after he left Los Angeles for New York, but left for Europe before getting a chance to record with that band. He recordedThe Resurgence of Dexter Gordon in 1960. His recordings from the mid-1950s onward document a meander into a smoothWest Coast style that lacked the impact of his bebop era recordings or his subsequent Blue Note recordings.
The decade saw Gordon's first entry into the world of drama. He appeared as a member (uncredited) of Art Hazzard's band in the filmYoung Man with a Horn (1950). He appeared in an uncredited and overdubbed role as a member of a prison band in the movieUnchained, filmed inside Chino. Gordon was a saxophonist performingFreddie Redd's music for the Los Angeles production ofJack Gelber's playThe Connection in 1960, replacingJackie McLean. He contributed two compositions,Ernie's Tune andI Want More to the score and later recorded them for his albumDexter Calling....
Gordon signed toBlue Note in 1961. He initially commuted from Los Angeles to New York to record, but took up residence when he regained the cabaret card that allowed him to perform where alcohol was served. The Jazz Gallery hosted his first New York performance in twelve years. The Blue Note association was to produce a steady flow of albums for several years, some of which gained iconic status. His New York renaissance was marked byDoin' Allright,Dexter Calling...,Go!, andA Swingin' Affair. The first two were recorded over three days in May 1961 withFreddie Hubbard,Horace Parlan,Kenny Drew,Paul Chambers,George Tucker,Al Harewood, andPhilly Joe Jones. The last two were recorded in August 1962, with a rhythm section that featured Blue Note regularsSonny Clark,Butch Warren andBilly Higgins. Of the twoGo! was an expressed favorite.[8] The albums showed his assimilation of the hard bop and modal styles that had developed during his years on the west coast, and the influence of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, whom he had influenced before. The stay in New York turned out to be shortlived, as Gordon got offers for engagements in England, then Europe, that resulted in a fourteen-year stay.[7] Soon after recordingA Swingin' Affair, he left the United States.
Over the next 14 years in Europe, living mainly inParis andCopenhagen, Gordon played regularly with fellow expatriates or visiting players, such asBud Powell,Ben Webster,Freddie Hubbard,Bobby Hutcherson,Kenny Drew,Horace Parlan andBilly Higgins. Blue Note'sFrancis Wolff supervised Gordon's later sessions for the label on his visits to Europe. The pairing of Gordon with Drew turned out to be one of the classic matchups between a horn player and a pianist, much likeMiles Davis withRed Garland orJohn Coltrane withMcCoy Tyner.
From this period cameOur Man in Paris,One Flight Up,Gettin' Around, andClubhouse.Our Man in Paris was a Blue Note session recorded in Paris in 1963 with backup consisting of pianist Powell, drummerKenny Clarke, and French bassistPierre Michelot.One Flight Up, recorded in Paris in 1964 with trumpeterDonald Byrd, pianist Kenny Drew, drummerArt Taylor, and Danish bassistNiels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, features an extended solo by Gordon on the track "Tanya".
Gordon also visited the US occasionally for further recording dates.Gettin' Around was recorded for Blue Note during a visit in May 1965, as was the albumClubhouse which remained unreleased until 1979.
Gordon found Europe in the 1960s a much easier place to live, saying that he experienced less racism and greater respect for jazz musicians. He also stated that on his visits to the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he found the political and social strife disturbing.[12] While in Copenhagen, Gordon and Drew's trio appeared onscreen[13] in Ole Ege's theatrically released hardcore pornographic filmPornografi – en musical (1971), for which they composed and performed the score.[14]
He switched from Blue Note toPrestige Records (1965–73). For the label, he recorded bop albums likeThe Tower of Power! andMore Power! (1969) withJames Moody,Barry Harris,Buster Williams, andAlbert "Tootie" Heath;The Panther! (1970) withTommy Flanagan,Larry Ridley, andAlan Dawson;The Jumpin' Blues (1970) withWynton Kelly,Sam Jones, andRoy Brooks;The Chase! (1970) withGene Ammons,Jodie Christian,John Young,Cleveland Eaton,Rufus Reid, Wilbur Campbell,Steve McCall, andVi Redd; andTangerine (1972) withThad Jones,Freddie Hubbard, andHank Jones. Some of the Prestige albums were recorded during visits back to North America while he was still living in Europe; others were made in Europe, including live sets from theMontreux Jazz Festival.
In addition to the recordings Gordon did under his American label contracts, live recordings by European labels and live video from his European period have been released. In 1975, Dexter Gordon signed an exclusive recording contract with Danish label SteepleChase, for which he recorded some of his most inspired sessions includingThe Apartment (1974),More Than You Know (1975),Stable Mable,Swiss Nights Vol. 1,2 and3,Something Different,Lullaby for a Monster, and not leastBiting the Apple (1976), recorded during his homecoming trip to New York, featuring Barry Harris, Sam Jones andAl Foster. The album received the Grand Prix De Jazz in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1977.SteepleChase released live dates from his mid-1960s tenure at theJazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. The video was released in theJazz Icons series.
Gordon returned to the United States for good in 1976.[15] He appeared withWoody Shaw,Ronnie Mathews,Stafford James, andLouis Hayes, for a gig at theVillage Vanguard in New York that was dubbed his "homecoming." It was recorded and released byColumbia Records under that title. He observed: "There wasso much love and elation; sometimes it was a littleeerie at the Vanguard. After the last set they'd turn on the lights andnobody would move."[16] In addition to theHomecoming album, a series of live albums was released by Blue Note from his stands atKeystone Korner in San Francisco during 1978 and 1979. They featured Gordon,George Cables,Rufus Reid, andEddie Gladden. He recorded the studio albumsSophisticated Giant with an eleven-piece big band in 1977 andManhattan Symphonie with theLive at Keystone Corner crew in 1978. The sensation of Gordon's return, and the continued efforts ofArt Blakey through 1970s and early 1980s, have been credited with reviving interest in swinging, melodic, acoustically-based classic jazz sounds after theFusion jazz era that saw an emphasis on electronic sounds and contemporary pop influences.
In 1978 and 1980, Gordon was theDownBeat Musician of the Year, and in 1980 he was inducted into theJazz Hall of Fame. The US Government honored him with a Congressional Commendation, a Dexter Gordon Day in Washington DC, and in 1986 theNational Endowment for the Arts named him aNEA Jazz Master in recognition of his Lifetime Achievement.[17] In 1986, he was named a member and officer of theFrench Order of Arts and Letters (Officier des Arts et Lettres) by the Ministry of Culture inFrance.[18]
During the 1980s, Gordon, a life-long smoker, was weakened byemphysema. He remained a popular attraction at concerts and festivals, although his live appearances and recording dates would soon become infrequent.[citation needed]
Gordon starred in the 1986 movieRound Midnight as "Dale Turner", an expatriate jazz musician in Paris during the late 1950s based loosely on Lester Young and Bud Powell.[7] That portrayal earned him a nomination for anAcademy Award for Best Actor.[7] In addition, he had a non-speaking role as a piano-playing hospital inmate in the 1990 filmAwakenings, which was posthumously released. Before that last film was released, he made a guest appearance on theMichael Mann seriesCrime Story.
Soundtrack performances fromRound Midnight were released as the albumsRound Midnight andThe Other Side of Round Midnight, featuring original music byHerbie Hancock as well as playing by Gordon. The latter was the last recording released under Gordon's name. He was a sideman onTony Bennett's 1987 album,Berlin.
Gordon died ofkidney failure and smoking-related cancer of thelarynx inPhiladelphia, on April 25, 1990, at the age of 67.[1][19][20]
Gordon's maternal grandfather was CaptainEdward L. Baker Jr., who received theMedal of Honor during theSpanish–American War, while serving with the 10th Cavalry Regiment (also known as theBuffalo Soldiers).[citation needed]
Gordon's father, Dr. Frank Gordon, M.D., was one of the first prominent African-American physicians and a graduate ofHoward University.[citation needed]
Gordon's uncle, Clifford Myota Gordon, was a charter member of the Alpha Delta chapter ofAlpha Phi Alpha fraternity, seated at theUniversity of Southern California.[21][22]
When he lived in Denmark, Gordon became friends with the family of futureMetallica drummerLars Ulrich and subsequently became Lars's godfather.[23]
Gordon was married three times and had six children: Robin, James, Deirdre, Mikael, Morten and Benjamin.[24]
The earliest photographs of Gordon as a player show him with aConn 30M "Connqueror" and an Otto Link mouthpiece. Later he adopted the standard Conn tenor, the 10M. In a 1962 interview with the British journalist Les Tomkins, he did not refer to the specific model of mouthpiece but stated that it was made for him personally. He stated that it was stolen around 1952.[3] In the Tomkins interview he referred to his mouthpiece as a small-chambered piece with a 5* (.085" under the Otto Link system) tip opening. He bought aSelmer Mark VI fromBen Webster after he lost his 10M during the trip to Paris. In aDownBeat magazine interview from 1977, he referred to his current mouthpiece as an Otto Link model with a #8 (.110" under the Otto Link system) tip opening.[12]
WithGene Ammons
WithLouis Armstrong
WithBenny Carter
WithBilly Eckstine
WithDizzy Gillespie
WithLionel Hampton
WithHerbie Hancock
WithHelen Humes
WithJackie McLean
WithGerry Mulligan
WithLeo Parker
WithPony Poindexter
WithJimmy Rushing
With others
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
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