Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Dexter Gordon: American Classic

Dexter Gordon: American Classic

By Chris May
May 5, 2010
View read count

Reissued as part of the Warner Jazz Elektra Masters series, tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon's American Classic was originally released in 1982. It was part of a late-period American renaissance enjoyed by Gordon, who, after 15 years in Europe, had made a much lauded return to the New York club scene in the mid 1970s. Gordon's renaissance took on even wider currency in 1986 with the release of Bertrand Tavernier's movie Round Midnight, in which Gordon took the star role, an amalgam of fellow boppers pianist

Bud Powell

piano
1924 - 1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Bud Powell and alto saxophonist

Charlie Parker

saxophone, alto
1920 - 1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Charlie Parker.

In truth, Gordon was playing himself on the screen, for like Powell and Parker he too had suffered extended bouts of alcohol and heroin addiction. His own experiences helped Gordon bring conviction to his role, but by the 1980s those same experiences had taken a cumulative toll on his own music. No longer the turbulent force of hard bop nature heard on Blue Note albums such as Doin' Alright (1961), Our Man In Paris (1963) and Getting' Around (1965), his playing was slowing up and his range was diminishing.

But that's to compare late period Gordon with his younger self. Even in the last decade of his life, Gordon (1923-1990) still had the power to make other players feel inadequate. He found that form on the closing two tunes on American Classic: his own, medium-fast blues "Sticky Wicket" and

Johnny Mercer

composer / conductor
1909 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Mercer's and

Hoagy Carmichael

piano
1899 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Hoagy Carmichael's gorgeous ballad, "Skylark." Accompanied by his regular band of the early 1980s—pianist

Kirk Lightsey

piano
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Kirk Lightsey, bassist David Eubanks and drummer

Steve Gadd

drums
b.1945

" data-original-title="" title="">Steve Gadd—Gordon got tantalizingly close to his peak period muscle on "Sticky Wicket" and on the 12:39 "Skylark" turned in an extended solo of enthralling, rough-hewn lyricism.

The disc's opening three tracks are not so spectacular, and feature Gordon alongside organist

Shirley Scott

organ, Hammond B3
1934 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Shirley Scott, who replaced Lightsey, and soprano saxophonist

Grover Washington, Jr.

saxophone
1943 - 1999

" data-original-title="" title="">Grover Washington, Jr., then on the crest of crossover success. Gordon could do soul jazz in his sleep, or at least nodding off, but at this stage in his career his heart no longer seemed to be in it. There's a frequent disconnect between tenor and organ, and Gordon's solos lack cohesion, being seemingly random sequences of non-motivic ideas, some of which work and some of which don't. "Sticky Wicket" has more soul than these three tracks rolled together.

The 2:02 minute interview tagged onto the end of the disc (it was on the original release too) is an opportunity to hear Gordon's voice, but don't expect any revelations: the questions are of the "Where do you find all your inspiration?" variety.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Jumpin' Blues; Besame Mucho; For Soul Sister; Sticky Wicket; Skylark; Interview with Dexter Gordon.

Personnel

Dexter Gordon

saxophone, tenor

Dexter Gordon: tenor saxophone; Grover Washington: soprano saxophone (1, 3); Shirley Scott: organ (1-3); Kirk Lightsey: piano (4, 5); David Eubanks: bass; Eddie Gladden: drums.

Album information

Title: American Classic | Year Released: 2010 | Record Label: Warner Bros.

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Living the Dream
< Previous

Frank Glover: Going A Different Way
Next >

Support All About Jazz

All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.