Credits:

Dexter Gordon

Description:

Jazz giant Dexter Gordon led his own quartet to perform in Copenhagen in 1983 and this live recording from Montmartre in 1983 is a must-see for the impeccable sound of the Dexter Quartet. The legendary Dexter Gordon, who played in Copenhagen in the 1940s and influenced John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and many others, has released a CD of his legendary live performances. It was Dexter's final farewell to his friends and fans in Denmark, a place he loved for 20 years. The recording is in fairly good quality sound, as it was part of a television production by the state-run Danish Broadcasting Corporation that documented this golden era in Danish jazz history. Dexter lived in Europe from the early 1960s through 1976, working primarily in France and Denmark. This was a time when Dexter was recovering from drug addiction and his musical career was back on track, and the year he spent in Copenhagen was especially significant for his own reinvention and revitalization after a period of stagnation.He settled there and became a regular on the jazz scene, building his reputation at the legendary jazz club Montmartre and attracting many American jazz players, including Ben Webster, Bud Powell, and Kenny Drew. In this live performance, he plays with Kirk Lightsey (p), David Eubanks (b), and Eddie Gladden (d), and proves himself to be a jazz player of the highest caliber, showing great dignity as the master of sound and ideas, not only melody but rhythm as well. He captivated the audience with his bold, dry-sounding, tenacious bebop, which seemed to incorporate elements of Lester Young and Coltrane, and generated an overwhelming energy.

Tracklisting:

1.It's You or No One
2.Hanky Panky
3.More Than You Know
4.Backstairs