Jazz
I am an avid jazz fan, and am in the jazz business. I have also had thousands of jazz albums and CDs in my time. And, well this one rates as one of the best albums in jazz history. This is a collection, though, and all the music can be found on other albums, but I must admit it is a fabulous collection. Another album that is a must have is Dexters album "Lullaby for a Monster" if you don't have it, get it. It is pure genous, Dex at his very best. His compositions are creative and his improv is the best I've ever heard. It is so good it is hard to tell where the tune ends and the improv begins. Other killer Dex CDs to check out are: Biting the apple, Something Different, Clubhouse, and Come Rain or Come Shine. Another classic tenor album in this style is Soul Station by Hank Mobley. Sorry for all the recomendations, but its taken me a lot of listening to come to these conclusions and just wanted to pass along my opinion.
By Rachel Wanne.
**
The famous photograph on the album cover hung in my room when I was a teenager, before I had developed any real appreciation for jazz. I liked the feel of the photo, dex so cool in his suit and hat and horn and blowing out smoke like he was just the coolest cat in the world. I think the photo was so cool that it made me start smoking - or maybe that was my older brother. In any case, I just wanted to add these five stars to all of the others and, you never know, maybe this will tip the scale towards somebody seeking out this great work. Dex really was a cool cat, and it is gratifying to know that he returned to the US while he could still play high-quality music. His exile also serves to remind americans of the debt that we owe to European audiences (esp. the French - as tough as it is to thank them) for sticking with Jazz in the early 70's when americans were fleeing to mass produced music and the orgiastic pagan rituals of stadium rock. I liked very much the review from salt lake city with its explanations of spacing and the essential romantic quality of jazz ballads. Jazz wasn't meant to be rocket science (though it's great when it is) it is just meant to swing.
By J. Toth.
**
Along with Gene Ammons and Stanley Turrentine , Dexter Gordon was one of the top ballad players of the '60s. Having already made his name in the bebop era and as an expatriate in Europe, Gordon returned to the States to record a series of fine Blue Note discs during the first half of the decade. This edition of the label's Ballads series features Gordon at his peak and in the company of some of hard bop 's best players. Whether melding nicely with trumpeter Donald Byrd from a Paris date in 1964 ( 'Darn That Dream' ) or locking in with the stellar rhythm section of Sonny Clark , Butch Warren , and Billy Higgins ( 'Don't Explain' ), Gordon delivers his almost sleepy and smoke-filled solos with regal grace. The same can also be said of the rest of this incredible program, including a latter-day live cut from 1978. A perfect set for those in need of a provocative after-hours session in front of the stereo.
By Stephen Cook, All Music Guide.
**
Dexter Gordon- Tenor Saxophone;
Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd- Trumpet;
Sonny Clark, Barry Harris, Bud Powell, George Cables, Horace Parlan, Kenny Drew- Piano;
Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen , Paul Chambers, Rufus Reid, Butch Warren, Bob Cranshaw,
George Tucker, Pierre Michelot- Bass;
Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones, Kenny Clarke, Art Taylor, Al Harewood, Eddie Gladden- Drums.
**
01.Darn That Dream (7:29)
Bass - Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen
Drums - Art Taylor
Piano - Kenny Drew
Trumpet - Donald Byrd
02.Don't Explain (6:03)
Bass - Butch Warren
Drums - Billy Higgins
Piano - Sonny Clark
03.I'm A Fool To Want You (6:43)
Bass - Bob Cranshaw
Drums - Billy Higgins
Piano - Barry Harris (2)
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
04.Ernie's Tune (4:13)
Bass - Paul Chambers (3)
Drums - "Philly" Joe Jones
Piano - Kenny Drew
05.You've Changed (7:27)
Bass - George Tucker
Drums - Al Harewood
Piano - Horace Parlan
Trumpet - Freddie Hubbard
06.Willow Weep For Me (8:45)
Bass - Pierre Michelot
Drums - Kenny Clarke
Piano - Bud Powell
07.Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (5:20)
Bass - Butch Warren
Drums - Billy Higgins
Piano - Sonny Clark
08.Body And Soul (16:59)
Bass - Rufus Reid
Drums - Eddie Gladden
Piano - George Cables
**
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