Dexter Gordon

Synopsis

Soweto Kinch joins Alyn Shipton to select the finest recordings of the great tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, ranging from his early days with Billy Eckstine to his Academy Award-nominated performance in Bertrand Tavernier's film Round Midnight.

Gordon was one of the first players of his instrument to adopt the bebop style in the 1940s, going on to become one of the most influential and distinctive soloists of the 60s and 70s.

Title Long Tall Dexter
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gordon
Album Settin the Pace
Label Proper
Number Proper box 16 CD 2 Track 1
Personnel: Leonard Hawkins, t; Dexter Gordon, ts; Bud Powell, p; Curley Russell, b;
Max Roach, d. 29 Jan 1946

Disc 2:
Title Blowin the Blues Away
Artist Billy Eckstine
Composer Eckstine / Valentine
Album Dexter Gordon: Settin the Pace
Label Proper
Number Proper box 16 CD 1 Track 5
Personnel: Gail Brockman, Dizzy Gillespie, Marion Hazel, Shorty McConnell, t; Taswell
Baird, Chippy Outcalt, Howard Scott, Gerald Valentine, tb; Bill Frazier, John Jackson,
Gene Ammons, Dexter Gordon, Leo Parker, reeds, John Malachi, p; Connie
Wainwright, g; Tommy Potter, b; Art Blakey, d; Billy Eckstine, vtb, voc. 5 Dec 1944

Disc 3:
Title The Chase
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gordon
Album Settin the Pace
Label Proper
Number Properbox 16 CD 2 Track 8
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, ts; Jimmy Bunn, p; Red Callendar, b; Chuck
Thompson, d. 12 June 1947.

Disc 4:
Title Ghost of a Chance
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Young, Crosby
Album Settin the Pace
Label Proper
Number Properbox 16 CD 3 Track 6
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Jimmy Rowles, p; Red Callendar, b; Roy Porter, d. 4
Dec 1947

Disc 5:
Title Settin the Pace:
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gordon
Album Settin the Pace
Label Proper
Number Properbox CD 4 Track 3
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Leo Parker, bar; Tadd Dameron, p; Curley Russell, b;
Art Blakey, d. 11 Dec 1947.

Disc 6:
Title I Was Doing Alright
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gershwin
Album Doin' Alright
Label Blue Note
Number 84077 Track 1
Personnel: Freddie Hubbard, t; Dexter Gordon, ts; Horace Parlan, p; George Tucker, b;
Al Harewood, d. 6 May 1961

Disc 7:
Title Night In Tunisia
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gillespie, Paparelli
Album Our Man In Paris
Label Blue Note
Number 46394 Track 5
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Bud Powell, p; Pierre Michelot, b; Kenny Clarke, d. June
1963.

Disc 8:
Title Manha De Carnival
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Maria / Banfa
Album Gettin Around
Label Blue Note
Number 46681 Track 1
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Bobby Hutcherson, vib; Barry Harris, p; Bob Cranshaw,
b; Billy Higgins, d. June 1965.

Disc 9:
Title Take the A Train
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Strayhorn
Album Misty
Label Steeplechase
Number 36033 Track 1
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Kenny Drew, p; NHOP, b; Alex Riel, d. Copenhagen, 8
July 1965

Disc 10:
Title Fried Bananas
Artist Dexter Gordon
Composer Gordon
Album More Power
Label Prestige
Number OJCCD 815 Track 3
Personnel: Dexter Gordon, ts; Barry Harris, p; Buster Williams, b Tootie
Heath, d. March 1969.

Broadcast

1. Sat 28 Feb 2009
   16:00
   BBC Radio 3