When was the last time a jazz musician was actually well known enough to have a “comeback?” Well, tenor sax giant Dexter Gordon did back in the ‘70s. Can’t think of anyone since. Back in the day, he was THE king of the horn, the direct link from Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young, and was THE tenor player of the time. Later, he influenced and got competition from Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, but by that time he was beset by “personal” problems that forced him to drop out of the race for awhile. He then put out some classics for Blue Note in the sixties and went to live abroad in Copenhagen to live a more congenial life until the 70s. These six discs find Long Tall Dexter smack dab center in his return to America, wowing crowds with his humungously toned tenor. He even starred in a movie at the time as well as did some bit parts, completing the return to civilization in style.
What you’re going to hear on these discs are the 5 albums that got everyone excited about Gordon being back in form. The “Homecoming-Live At The Village Vanguard” from ’76 knocked everyone for a loop. These two discs with Woody Shaw/tp, Ronnie Mathews/p, Stafford James/b and Louis Hayes/dr serve as a collective “did you miss me that much” from the returning ex-patriot. His horn fills the room with his languid and lusty tone on “Fried Bananas” and ballads like “’Round Midnight” or “Body and Soul.” Ranging from 11-14 minutes, the tunes let everyone get a chance to stretch out and play like men on a mission. A gig from ’78 at Carnegie Hall isn’t too far behind. George Cables/p, Rufus Reid/dr and Eddie Gladden/dr drive the stallion on luminous versions of “The End of a Love Affair” and “More Than You Know,” while Johnny Griffin hops on stage for a couple of arm wrestling matches, most notably on “Blues Up and Down.”
Sophisticated Giant from 1977 has Gordon in prime form as he’s backed by a mini-big band that includes Frank Wess, Woody Shaw, Howard Johnson and his regular working rhythm section. Trombonist/arranger Slide Hampton wrote the charts to pieces like “Laura” and “Red Top” and they are hip and helpful without being overwhelming. A switch to soprano on “How Insensitive” is a nice move, and the extra tracks with Eddie Jefferson vocalesing on “Diggin’ It” and “Paper Moon” are wild and wooley. Manhattan Symphonie from the studio during ’78 has the Carnegie Hall team, and Gordon cooks on “As Time Goes By” and a highly hip “Moment’s Notice.” 1981 has Gordon leading an all star team with Shaw, George Benson, Cedar Walton, Percy Heath and Art Blakey for some macho takes of “The Blues Walk,” “Hi Fly” and the title track. A bonus disc includes a session with Stan Getz sitting in on a nice take of “Polka Dots and Moonbeams” and “Red Top.” There are a couple extra ditties as well, but what you’re going to take home from these 7+ hours of music is that like the finest of Italian chefs, Dexter Gordon needed no gimmicks, he trusted the inherent goodness of his basic ingredients. You’re getting music from a man with an attitude that has unfortunately long left us. Listen here, and hang on.
Sony Legacy Records
www.legacyrecordings.com