Dial REcords
1999
The Chronological 1943-1947
About This Album
This magnificent album of progressive jazz from the mid-'40s contains the earliest recordings released under Dexter Gordon's name. The opening session finds him in the company of Nat King Cole and Harry "Sweets" Edison. While Cole based much of his piano style on the creative accomplishments of Earl Hines, Gordon named Roy Eldridge and Lester Young as primary influences. The inspiration to emulate Prez, said Dex, "...came like a bolt out of the blue to me...I readily identified with his ideas and concepts...." This is superbly demonstrated in the relaxed jamming atmosphere of the first four tracks, particularly "I Blowed and Gone." Gordon said that by the time he joined the Lionel Hampton band in December of 1940, he'd been listening carefully to Prez "for three or four years." By 1943 Gordon's saxophone voice had ripened under that influence to the point where he was beginning to tell his own story. Then one night in 1944 at Minton's Playhouse, Gordon sat in literally between Lester Young and Ben Webster. Recording for Savoy in October of 1945, Gordon was teamed with adventurous pianist Sadik Hakim, backed by Gene Ramey and Ed Nicholson. These performances resemble Lester Young's Aladdin and early Clef recordings.
Track List (try tracks 1,2,3,4,11,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20 and 21)

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