Recorded on May 13 & 16, 1978 and March 23, 24 & 27, 1979
Reissued as part of Dexter Gordon: Mosaic Select 14 (2004)
Dexter Gordon made a huge splash when he returned from Europe to perform at the Village Vanguard in December 1976. Gordon signed a contract with industry giant Columbia, and the Vanguard recordings were released to great acclaim. But, with the passage of time, some of the luster has come off these recordings. From this listener's perspective Manhattan Symphonie (1978) is a far more satisfying LP, the best of Gordon's time with Columbia.
As much I enjoy Manhattan Symphonie -- and others that Gordon recorded in Europe -- my favorite Dexter Gordon album from the 1970s is Nights at the Keystone. The band fits Gordon like a glove, and he unspools long, flowing solos effortlessly. By the time that the quartet made these recordings at the Keystone, Gordon had established the same sort of simpatico relationship with the rhythm section as listeners had heard on the best of Gordon's SteepleChase recordings.
More Dexter Gordon
Along with the discs discussed above, here are a few Dexter recordings that I pull from the shelf frequently:
- The Panther (Prestige, 1970)
- The Apartment (SteepleChase, 1975)
- The Apartment (SteepleChase, 1975)
- Something Different (SteepleChase, rec. 1975)
- Lullabye for a Monster (SteepleChase, rec. 1976)
- Biting the Apple (SteepleChase, rec. 1976)
- Biting the Apple (SteepleChase, rec. 1976)
I have 14 Dexter Gordon albums from the 1970s, and 13 from the 1960s. Most of the 70s recordings are live in quartet formats like the Keystone recordings. I think the Keystone sessions are the most compelling, especially because George Cables and Dexter had achieved an apex of small group artistry by that time. For the celebrated Homecoming sessions at the Vanguard in 1976, Dex was plugged into the great Woody Shaw quartet. While those sessions are excellent (if only because we get to hear 4 sides of Woody Shaw), the Keystones are the ones to listen to over, and over, and over. I was fortunate to stumble across the vinyl 2fer in a used shop. I think the vinyl serves the music better than the CDs.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite studio album from the 1970s is Biting the Apple, with the wonderful Barry Harris on piano. I wish Barry and Dex had played more together.
The Blue Note records from the 1960s are hard to beat. They alter formats and sidemen nicely. The tenor never seems to waiver or take a day off. I can't imagine a history of jazz being written without the essential contributions of Mr. Dexter Keith Gordon!