Author: GORDON,DEXTER

Format: Best of

Release Date: 19-07-1991

Details: Amazon.ca An obvious record, considering that saxophonist Dexter Gordon, a true force of nature and master of the swing, was also a ballad god. His offbeat phrasing and generous notes were his trademark, as was his style, both virile and nonchalant, which had impressed many, starting with John Coltrane. These ballads remind us how much this exile (who left for Denmark and then returned to New York in 1976) was a true saxophone poet. --Eric Frank Product description Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was among the earliest tenor players to adapt the bebop musical language of people such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the instrument. Gordon's height was 6 feet 6 inches so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" and "Sophisticated Giant". His studio and live performance career spanned over 40 years. Gordon's sound was commonly characterized as being "large" and spacious and he had a tendency to play behind the beat. He was famous for humorously inserting musical quotes into his solos. One of his major influences was Lester Young. Gordon, in turn, was an early influence on John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Rollins and Coltrane then influenced Gordon's playing as he explored hard bop and modal playing during the 1960s. Gordon was known for his genial and humorous stage presence. He was an advocate of playing to communicate with the audience. One of his idiosyncratic rituals was to recite lyrics from each ballad before playing it. A photograph by Herman Leonard of Gordon taking a smoke break at the Royal Roost in 1948 is one of the iconic images in jazz photography. Cigarettes were a recurring theme on covers of Gordon's albums. He won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance - Soloist for the soundtrack album The Other Side Of Round Midnight (Blue Note Records, 1986). Gordon died of kidney failure and cancer of the larynx in Philadelphia on April 25 1990 at the age of 67.

UPC: 077779657926

EAN: 0077779657926

Languages: English

Binding: Audio CD

Item Condition: UsedVeryGood