Milestones of a Jazz Legend

The American tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923 - 1990) was the first important representative of his instrument on the bebop scene around Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Bud Powell in the 1940s. He began his remarkable career with the orchestra of Lionel Hampton, one of the most popular bands of the time, as a seventeen-year-old, where he played in the saxophone section next to Illinois Jacquet and Marshal Royal. This was followed by stints with Louis Armstrong and Fletcher Henderson, proving that the transition from swing to bebop was evolutionary in nature. Parker, Gillespie, Sonny Stitt, Miles Davis, Fats Navarro, Art Blakey and, of course, Dexter Gordon were hired by singer Billy Eckstine for his big band, and the duels that Dexter's rousing tenor sax fought with that of Gene Ammons were one of the band's main attractions, forerunners of Dexter Gordon's celebrated duets and "chases" with Wardell Gray. After appearing on albums with Dizzy Gillespie, Gordon made his own recordings for labels such as Savoy and Dial, where he was able to develop his own style, largely influenced by Lester Young, alongside great accompanists. Comparing these recordings with those Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane made nearly a decade later, makes it clear just how dominant Dexter's influence was. "The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon" finally ushered in his comeback in 1959. It was followed by other albums of the highest level, as you can hear here.