Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

musicians. Gordon's height was , so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" and "Sophisticated Giant". His studio and performance career spanned more than 40 years. Gordon's sound was commonly characterized as being "large" and spacious and he had a tendency to play behind the beat. He inserted musical quotes into his solos, with sources as diverse as " Happy Birthday" and well-known melodies from the operas of Wagner. Quoting from various musical sources is not unusual in jazz improvisation, but Gordon did it frequently enough to make it a hallmark of his style. One of his major influences was

Lester Young Lester Willis Young (August 27, 1909 – March 15, 1959), nicknamed "Pres" or "Prez", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and occasional clarinetist. Coming to prominence while a member of Count Basie's orchestra, Young was one of the most i ...

. Gordon, in turn, was an early influence on

John Coltrane John William Coltrane (September 23, 1926 – July 17, 1967) was an American jazz saxophonist, bandleader and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the Jazz#Post-war jazz, history of jazz and 20th-century musi ...

and

Sonny Rollins Walter Theodore "Sonny" Rollins (born September 7, 1930) is an American retired jazz tenor saxophonist who is widely recognized as one of the most important and influential jazz musicians. In a seven-decade career, Rollins recorded over sixt ...

. Rollins and Coltrane then influenced Gordon's playing as he explored hard bop and modal playing during the 1960s. Gordon had a genial and humorous stage presence. He was an advocate of playing to communicate with the audience, which was his musical approach as well. One of his idiosyncratic rituals was to recite lyrics from each ballad before playing it. A photograph by Herman Leonard of Gordon taking a smoke break at the Royal Roost in 1948 is one of the iconic images in jazz photography. Cigarettes were a recurring theme on covers of Gordon's albums. Gordon was nominated for an

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance in the

Bertrand Tavernier Bertrand Tavernier (; 25 April 1941 – 25 March 2021) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer. Life and career Tavernier was born in Lyon, France, the son of Geneviève (née Dumond) and René Tavernier, a publicist and writer, ...

film '' Round Midnight'' (

Warner Bros Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI), commonly known as Warner Bros. (WB), is an American film studio, filmed entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios Burbank, Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California and th ...

, 1986), and he won a Grammy for Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Soloist, for the soundtrack album '' The Other Side of Round Midnight'' (

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

, 1986). He also had a cameo role in the 1990 film '' Awakenings''. In 2018, Gordon's album ''Go'' (Blue Note, 1962) was selected by the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is a research library in Washington, D.C., serving as the library and research service for the United States Congress and the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It also administers Copyright law o ...

for preservation in the National Recording Registry for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

Life and career

Early life

Dexter Keith Gordon was born on February 27, 1923, in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. His father, Frank Gordon, one of the first African-American medical doctors in Los Angeles, arrived in 1918 after graduating from

Howard University Howard University is a private, historically black, federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity" and accredited by the Mid ...

Medical School in Washington, D.C. Among his patients were

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and

Lionel Hampton Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, percussionist, and bandleader. He worked with jazz musicians from Teddy Wilson, Benny Goodman, and Buddy Rich, to Charlie Parker, Charles Mingus, an ...

. Dexter's mother, Gwendolyn Baker, was the daughter of Captain Edward Lee Baker, Jr. one of the five African-American

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest Awards and decorations of the United States Armed Forces, military decoration and is awarded to recognize American United States Army, soldiers, United States Navy, sailors, Un ...

recipients in the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

. Gordon began his study of music with the

clarinet The clarinet is a Single-reed instrument, single-reed musical instrument in the woodwind family, with a nearly cylindrical bore (wind instruments), bore and a flared bell. Clarinets comprise a Family (musical instruments), family of instrume ...

at the age of 13, then switched to the

alto saxophone The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgians, Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E♭ ( ...

at 15, and finally to the

tenor saxophone The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (whi ...

at 17. He studied with multi-instrumentalist Lloyd Reese while attending Thomas Jefferson High School, and studied with the school’s band director, Sam Browne. pp. 4, 26. While still at school, he played in bands with such contemporaries as Chico Hamilton and Buddy Collette. Between December 1940 and 1943, Gordon was a member of

's band, playing in a saxophone section alongside Illinois Jacquet and

Marshal Royal Marshal Walton Royal Jr. (December 5, 1912 – May 8, 1995) was an American jazz alto saxophonist and clarinetist best known for his work with Count Basie, with whose band he played for nearly twenty years. Early life and education Marshal Royal ...

. During 1944, Gordon was featured in the Fletcher Henderson band, followed by the

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

band, before joining Billy Eckstine. The 1942–44 musicians' strike curtailed the recording of the Hampton, Henderson, and Armstrong bands; however, they were recorded on V-Discs produced by the Army for broadcast and distribution among overseas troops. In 1943, he was featured, alongside Harry "Sweets" Edison, in recordings under Nat Cole for a small label not affected by the strike.

Bebop era recordings

By late 1944, Gordon was resident in New York, a regular at bebop jam sessions, and a featured soloist in the Billy Eckstine big band ("If That's The Way You Feel", "I Want To Talk About You", "Blowin' the Blues Away", "Opus X", "I'll Wait and Pray", "The Real Thing Happened To Me", "Lonesome Lover Blues", "I Love the Rhythm in a Riff"). During early 1945, he was featured on recordings by

Dizzy Gillespie John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie ( ; October 21, 1917 – January 6, 1993) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, composer, educator and singer. He was a trumpet virtuoso and improvisation, improviser, building on the virtuosic style of Roy El ...

(" Blue 'n' Boogie", " Groovin' High") and Charles Thompson ("Takin' Off", "If I Had You", "20th Century Blues", "The Street Beat"). In late 1945, Gordon was recording under his own name for the

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

label. His Savoy recordings during 1945–46 included ''Blow Mr. Dexter'', ''Dexter's Deck'', ''Dexter's Minor Mad'', ''Long Tall Dexter'', ''Dexter Rides Again'', ''I Can't Escape From You,''and ''Dexter Digs In''. He returned to Los Angeles in late 1946 and in 1947 was leading sessions for Ross Russell's Dial label (''Mischievous Lady, Lullaby in Rhythm, The Chase, Iridescence, It's the Talk of the Town, Bikini, A Ghost of a Chance, Sweet and Lovely''). After his return to Los Angeles, he became known for his saxophone duels with fellow tenorman

Wardell Gray Wardell Gray (February 13, 1921 – May 25, 1955) was an American jazz tenor saxophone, tenor saxophonist. Biography Early years The youngest of four children, Gray was born in Oklahoma City. He spent his early childhood years in Oklahoma b ...

, which were a popular concert attraction documented in recordings made between 1947 and 1952 (''The Hunt, Move, The Chase, The Steeplechase''). ''The Hunt'' gained literary fame from its mention in

Jack Kerouac Jean-Louis Lebris de Kérouac (; March 12, 1922 – October 21, 1969), known as Jack Kerouac, was an American novelist and poet who, alongside William S. Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, was a pioneer of the Beat Generation. Of French-Canadian ...

's '' On The Road'', which also contains descriptions of wild tenormen jamming in Los Angeles. ''Cherokee, Byas a Drink, ''and'' Disorder at the Border'' are other live recordings of the Gray/Gordon duo from the same concert (all issued on the album '' The Hunt'' in 1977). In December 1947, Gordon recorded again with the Savoy label (''Settin' the Pace, So Easy, Dexter's Riff, Dextrose, Dexter's Mood, Index, Dextivity, Wee Dot, Lion Roars''). Through the mid-to-late 1940s, he continued to work as a sideman on sessions led by Russell Jacquet,

Benny Carter Bennett Lester Carter (August 8, 1907 – July 12, 2003) was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, composer, arranger, and bandleader. With Johnny Hodges, he was a pioneer on the alto saxophone. From the beginning of his career ...

Ben Webster Benjamin Francis Webster (March 27, 1909 – September 20, 1973) was an American jazz tenor Saxophone, saxophonist. He performed in the United States and Europe and made many recordings with Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Johnny Hodges, a ...

, Ralph Burns, Jimmy Rushing, Helen Humes, Gerry Mulligan,

Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter best remembered as a singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...

, Leo Parker, and

Tadd Dameron Tadley Ewing Peake Dameron (February 21, 1917 – March 8, 1965) was an American jazz composer, arranger, and pianist. Biography Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Dameron was the most influential arranger of the bebop era, but also wrote charts for swi ...

The 1950s

During the 1950s, Gordon's recorded output and live appearances declined as heroin addiction and legal troubles took their toll. Gordon made a concert appearance with Wardell Gray in February 1952 (''The Chase, The Steeplechase, Take the A Train, Robbins Nest, Stardust'') and appeared as a sideman in a session led by Gray in June 1952 (''The Rubiyat, Jungle Jungle Jump, Citizen's Bop, My Kinda Love''). After an incarceration at

Chino Prison California Institution for Men (CIM) is a male-only List of California state prisons, state prison located in the city of Chino, California, Chino, San Bernardino County, California. It is often colloquially referenced as "Chino". In turn, locals ...

from 1953 to 1955, he recorded the albums '' Daddy Plays the Horn'' and '' Dexter Blows Hot and Cool'' in 1955 and played as a sideman on the Stan Levey album, ''This Time the Drum's on Me''. The latter part of the decade saw him in and out of prison until his final release from Folsom Prison in 1959. He was one of the initial sax players for the Onzy Matthews

big band A big band or jazz orchestra is a type of musical ensemble of jazz music that usually consists of ten or more musicians with four sections: saxophones, trumpets, trombones, and a rhythm section. Big bands originated during the early 1910s and ...

in 1959, along with Curtis Amy. Gordon continued to champion Matthews' band after he left Los Angeles for New York, but left for Europe before getting a chance to record with that band. He recorded '' The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon'' in 1960. His recordings from the mid-1950s onward document a meander into a smooth West Coast style that lacked the impact of his bebop era recordings or his subsequent Blue Note recordings. The decade saw Gordon's first entry into the world of drama. He appeared as a member (uncredited) of Art Hazzard's band in the film '' Young Man with a Horn'' (1950). He appeared in an uncredited and overdubbed role as a member of a prison band in the movie '' Unchained'', filmed inside Chino. Gordon was a saxophonist performing Freddie Redd's music for the Los Angeles production of Jack Gelber's play '' The Connection'' in 1960, replacing Jackie McLean. He contributed two compositions, ''Ernie's Tune'' and ''I Want More'' to the score and later recorded them for his album ''Dexter Calling...''.

New York renaissance

Gordon signed to Blue Note in 1961. He initially commuted from Los Angeles to New York to record, but took up residence when he regained the cabaret card that allowed him to perform where alcohol was served. The Jazz Gallery hosted his first New York performance in twelve years. The Blue Note association was to produce a steady flow of albums for several years, some of which gained iconic status. His New York renaissance was marked by '' Doin' Allright'', '' Dexter Calling...'', ''Go!'', and '' A Swingin' Affair''. The first two were recorded over three days in May 1961 with Freddie Hubbard, Horace Parlan, Kenny Drew,

Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...

, George Tucker, Al Harewood, and

Philly Joe Jones Joseph Rudolph "Philly Joe" Jones (July 15, 1923 – August 30, 1985) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early career As a child, Jones appeared as a featured tap dancer on ''The Kiddie Show'' on the Philadelphia radio stat ...

. The last two were recorded in August 1962, with a rhythm section that featured Blue Note regulars

Sonny Clark Conrad Yeatis "Sonny" Clark (July 21, 1931 – January 13, 1963) was an American jazz pianist and composer who mainly worked in the hard bop idiom. Early life Clark was born and raised in Herminie, Pennsylvania, a coal mining town east of P ...

Butch Warren Edward Rudolph "Butch" Warren Jr. (August 9, 1939 – October 5, 2013) was an American jazz bassist who was active during the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Warren's mother was a typist at the CIA. His father, Edward Sr., was an electronics tech ...

and Billy Higgins. Of the two ''Go!'' was an expressed favorite. The albums showed his assimilation of the hard bop and modal styles that had developed during his years on the west coast, and the influence of John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, whom he had influenced before. The stay in New York turned out to be shortlived, as Gordon got offers for engagements in England, then Europe, that resulted in a fourteen-year stay. Soon after recording ''A Swingin' Affair'', he left the United States.

Years in Europe

Over the next 14 years in Europe, living mainly in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

and

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, Gordon played regularly with fellow expatriates or visiting players, such as Bud Powell,

, Freddie Hubbard,

Bobby Hutcherson Robert Hutcherson (January 27, 1941 – August 15, 2016) was an American jazz vibraphone and marimba player. "Little B's Poem", from the 1966 Blue Note Records, Blue Note album ''Components (album), Components'', is one of his best-known composi ...

, Kenny Drew, Horace Parlan and Billy Higgins. Blue Note's Francis Wolff supervised Gordon's later sessions for the label on his visits to Europe. The pairing of Gordon with Drew turned out to be one of the classic matchups between a horn player and a pianist, much like

Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American jazz trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th century music, 20th-century music. Davis ado ...

with

Red Garland William McKinley "Red" Garland Jr. (May 13, 1923 – April 23, 1984) was an American modern jazz pianist. Known for his work as a bandleader and during the 1950s with Miles Davis, Garland helped popularize the block chord style of playing in jazz ...

with

McCoy Tyner Alfred McCoy Tyner (December 11, 1938March 6, 2020) was an American jazz piano, jazz pianist and composer known for his work with the John Coltrane Quartet from 1960 to 1965, and his long solo career afterwards. He was an NEA Jazz Masters, NEA J ...

. From this period came '' Our Man in Paris'', '' One Flight Up'', '' Gettin' Around'', and '' Clubhouse''. ''Our Man in Paris'' was a Blue Note session recorded in Paris in 1963 with backup consisting of pianist Powell, drummer Kenny Clarke, and French bassist Pierre Michelot. ''One Flight Up'', recorded in Paris in 1964 with trumpeter Donald Byrd, pianist Kenny Drew, drummer Art Taylor, and Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen, features an extended solo by Gordon on the track "Tanya". Gordon also visited the US occasionally for further recording dates. ''Gettin' Around'' was recorded for Blue Note during a visit in May 1965, as was the album ''Clubhouse'' which remained unreleased until 1979. Gordon found Europe in the 1960s a much easier place to live, saying that he experienced less racism and greater respect for jazz musicians. He also stated that on his visits to the US in the late 1960s and early 1970s, he found the political and social strife disturbing. While in Copenhagen, Gordon and Drew's trio appeared onscreen in Ole Ege's theatrically released hardcore pornographic film ''Pornografi – en musical'' (1971), for which they composed and performed the score. He switched from Blue Note to Prestige Records (1965–73). For the label, he recorded bop albums like '' The Tower of Power!'' and '' More Power!'' (1969) with James Moody, Barry Harris, Buster Williams, and Albert "Tootie" Heath; '' The Panther!'' (1970) with Tommy Flanagan, Larry Ridley, and Alan Dawson; '' The Jumpin' Blues'' (1970) with

Wynton Kelly Wynton Charles Kelly (December 2, 1931 – April 12, 1971) was an American jazz pianist and composer. He is known for his lively, blues-based playing and as one of the finest accompanists in jazz. He began playing professionally at the age of 1 ...

, Sam Jones, and

Roy Brooks Roy Brooks (March 9, 1938 – November 15, 2005) was an American Jazz drumming, jazz drummer. Biography Early life Brooks was born in Detroit and drummed since childhood, his earliest experiences of music coming through his mother, who sang in c ...

; '' The Chase!'' (1970) with

Gene Ammons Eugene "Jug" Ammons (April 14, 1925 – August 6, 1974), also known as "The Boss", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. The son of boogie-woogie pianist Albert Ammons, Gene Ammons is remembered for his accessible music, steeped in soul and R ...

, Jodie Christian, John Young, Cleveland Eaton, Rufus Reid, Wilbur Campbell, Steve McCall, and Vi Redd; and '' Tangerine'' (1972) with

Thad Jones Thaddeus Joseph Jones (March 28, 1923 – August 20, 1986) was an American jazz trumpeter, composer and bandleader who has been called "one of the all-time greatest jazz trumpet soloists". Early life, family and education Thad Jones was born i ...

, Freddie Hubbard, and Hank Jones. Some of the Prestige albums were recorded during visits back to North America while he was still living in Europe; others were made in Europe, including live sets from the Montreux Jazz Festival. In addition to the recordings Gordon did under his American label contracts, live recordings by European labels and live video from his European period have been released. In 1975, Dexter Gordon signed an exclusive recording contract with Danish label SteepleChase, for which he recorded some of his most inspired sessions including '' The Apartment'' (1974), '' More Than You Know'' (1975), '' Stable Mable'', '' Swiss Nights Vol. 1, 2 and 3'', '' Something Different'', '' Lullaby for a Monster'', and not least '' Biting the Apple'' (1976), recorded during his homecoming trip to New York, featuring Barry Harris, Sam Jones and Al Foster. The album received the Grand Prix De Jazz in Montreux, Switzerland, in 1977. SteepleChase released live dates from his mid-1960s tenure at the Jazzhus Montmartre in Copenhagen. The video was released in the ''Jazz Icons'' series.

Homecoming

Gordon returned to the United States for good in 1976. He appeared with

Woody Shaw Woody Herman Shaw Jr. (December 24, 1944 – May 10, 1989) was an American jazz trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, composer, arranger, band leader, and educator. Shaw is widely known as one of the 20th century's most important and influentia ...

, Ronnie Mathews, Stafford James, and Louis Hayes, for a gig at the Village Vanguard in New York that was dubbed his "homecoming." It was recorded and released by

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

under that title. He observed: "There was ''so'' much love and elation; sometimes it was a little ''eerie'' at the Vanguard. After the last set they'd turn on the lights and ''nobody'' would move." In addition to the ''Homecoming'' album, a series of live albums was released by Blue Note from his stands at Keystone Korner in San Francisco during 1978 and 1979. They featured Gordon,

George Cables George Andrew Cables (born November 14, 1944) is an American jazz pianist and composer. Early life Cables was born in New York City, United States. He was initially taught piano by his mother. He then studied at the High School of Performing Art ...

, Rufus Reid, and Eddie Gladden. He recorded the studio albums '' Sophisticated Giant'' with an eleven piece big band in 1977 and ''Manhattan Symphonie'' with the ''Live at Keystone Corner'' crew in 1978. The sensation of Gordon's return, and the continued efforts of Art Blakey through 1970s and early 1980s, have been credited with reviving interest in swinging, melodic, acoustically-based classic jazz sounds after the Fusion jazz era that saw an emphasis on electronic sounds and contemporary pop influences.

Musician Emeritus

In 1978 and 1980, Gordon was the ''

DownBeat ''DownBeat'' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm that it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1 ...

'' Musician of the Year, and in 1980 he was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. The US Government honored him with a Congressional Commendation, a Dexter Gordon Day in Washington DC, and in 1986 the

National Endowment for the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

named him a NEA Jazz Master in recognition of hia Lifetime Achievement. In 1986, he was named a member and officer of the French Order of Arts and Letters (Officier des Arts et Lettres) by the Ministry of Culture in

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. During the 1980s, Gordon, a life-long smoker, was weakened by

emphysema Emphysema is any air-filled enlargement in the body's tissues. Most commonly emphysema refers to the permanent enlargement of air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs, and is also known as pulmonary emphysema. Emphysema is a lower respiratory tract di ...

. He remained a popular attraction at concerts and festivals, although his live appearances and recording dates would soon become infrequent. Gordon starred in the 1986 movie '' Round Midnight'' as "Dale Turner", an expatriate jazz musician in Paris during the late 1950s based loosely on Lester Young and Bud Powell. That portrayal earned him a nomination for an

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 1st Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading ...

. In addition, he had a non-speaking role as a piano-playing hospital inmate in the 1990 film '' Awakenings'', which was posthumously released. Before that last film was released, he made a guest appearance on the

Michael Mann Michael Kenneth Mann (born February 5, 1943) is an American film director, screenwriter, author and producer, best known for his stylized crime dramas. He has received a BAFTA Award and two Primetime Emmy Awards as well as nominations for four ...

series '' Crime Story''. Soundtrack performances from ''Round Midnight'' were released as the albums '' Round Midnight'' and '' The Other Side of Round Midnight'', featuring original music by

Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz musician, bandleader, and composer. He started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. Hancock soon joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he helped to redefine the role of ...

as well as playing by Gordon. The latter was the last recording released under Gordon's name. He was a sideman on

Tony Bennett Anthony Dominick Benedetto (August 3, 1926 – July 21, 2023), known professionally as Tony Bennett, was an American jazz and traditional pop singer. He received many accolades, including 20 Grammy Awards, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, ...

's 1987 album, ''Berlin''.

Death

Gordon died of

kidney failure Kidney failure, also known as renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), is a medical condition in which the kidneys can no longer adequately filter waste products from the blood, functioning at less than 15% of normal levels. Kidney fa ...

and smoking-related cancer of the

larynx The larynx (), commonly called the voice box, is an organ (anatomy), organ in the top of the neck involved in breathing, producing sound and protecting the trachea against food aspiration. The opening of larynx into pharynx known as the laryngeal ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

, on April 25, 1990, at the age of 67.

Family

Gordon's maternal grandfather was Captain Edward L. Baker Jr., who received the

during the

, while serving with the 10th Cavalry Regiment (also known as the Buffalo Soldiers). Gordon's father, Dr. Frank Gordon, M.D., was one of the first prominent African-American physicians and a graduate of

. Gordon's uncle, Clifford Myota Gordon, was a charter member of the Alpha Delta chapter of

Alpha Phi Alpha Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. () is the oldest intercollegiate List of African-American fraternities, historically African American Fraternities and sororities, fraternity. It was initially a literary and social studies club organized in the ...

fraternity, seated at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...

. When he lived in Denmark, Gordon became friends with the family of the future

Metallica Metallica is an American heavy metal band. It was formed in Los Angeles in 1981 by vocalist and guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instrume ...

drummer Lars Ulrich, and subsequently became Lars's godfather. Gordon was married three times and had six children: Robin, James, Deirdre, Mikael, Morten and Benjamin. .

Instruments and mouthpieces

The earliest photographs of Gordon as a player show him with a Conn 30M "Connqueror" and an Otto Link mouthpiece. Later he adopted the standard Conn tenor, the 10M. In a 1962 interview with the British journalist Les Tomkins, he did not refer to the specific model of mouthpiece but stated that it was made for him personally. He stated that it was stolen around 1952. In the Tomkins interview he referred to his mouthpiece as a small-chambered piece with a 5* (.085" under the Otto Link system) tip opening. He bought a Selmer Mark VI from

after he lost his 10M during the trip to Paris. In a ''DownBeat'' magazine interview from 1977, he referred to his current mouthpiece as an Otto Link model with a #8 (.110" under the Otto Link system) tip opening.

Discography

As a leader

*'' Dexter Rides Again'' (1947 78 album; Savoy MG 12130, 1992; SV-120, 2010) *'' The Hunt'' with

(1947 78 album; Savoy SJL 2222, 1977) *Dexter Gordon – ''The Chase'' with

(Dial Records, 1947, re-released as Spotlite (E) SPJ 130) *Dexter Gordon – ''Move!'' (Dial Records, 1947, re-released as Spotlite (E) SPJ 133) *'' The Duel'' with Teddy Edwards (Dial, Spotlite, 1947) *''Dexter Gordon On Dial, The Complete Sessions – The Chase'' (compilation, Spotlite (E) SPJ 130 CD) *''Dexter Gordon – Long Tall Dexter'' (Savoy SJL 2211, 1976, compilation of 1940s Savoy tracks, previously released and unreleased) *''Dexter Gordon: Settin' the Pace'' (Savoy SVY 17027, compilation of 1940s Savoy studio tracks, including alternate takes) *''Dexter's Mood'' (Cool & Blue witzerlandC&B CD-114, 1994, compilation of Dial and Savoy studio tracks) *''The Wardell Gray Memorial, Volume 2'' (live jam, ''Move'') (Prestige, PRLP 7009, 1983; CD, OJC 051, 1992) *''The Chase and The Steeplechase,'' with Wardell Gray, Paul Quinichette (1952, Decca; Universal Distribution CD 9061, 2003) *'' Daddy Plays the Horn'' (Bethlehem 1955) *'' Dexter Blows Hot and Cool'' (Dootone 1955) *'' The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon'' ( Jazzland, 1960) *'' Doin' Allright'' ( Blue Note, 1961) *'' Dexter Calling...'' (Blue Note, 1961) *''

Landslide Landslides, also known as landslips, rockslips or rockslides, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, mudflows, shallow or deep-seated slope failures and debris flows. Landslides ...

'' (Blue Note, 1961–62

980 Year 980 ( CMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Peace is concluded between Emperor Otto II (the Red) and King Lothair III (or Lothair IV) at Margut, ending the Franco-Germa ...

*'' Go!'' (Blue Note 1962) *'' A Swingin' Affair'' (Blue Note, 1962) *'' Our Man in Paris'' (Blue Note, 1963, with Bud Powell, Pierre Michelot, Kenny Clarke) *'' One Flight Up'' (Blue Note, 1964) *'' Cheese Cake'' ( SteepleChase, 1979 964 *'' King Neptune'' (SteepleChase, 1979 964 *'' I Want More'' (SteepleChase, 1980 964 *'' Love for Sale'' (SteepleChase, 1982 964 *'' It's You or No One'' (SteepleChase, 1983 964 *''

Billie's Bounce "Billie's Bounce" (also known as "Bill's Bounce") is a jazz composition written in 1945 by Charlie Parker in the form of a 12 bar F blues. Some sources claim that the song was dedicated to Dizzy Gillespie, Dizzy Gillespie's agent, Billy Shaw, al ...

'' (SteepleChase, 1983 964 *'' Gettin' Around'' (Blue Note 1965) *'' Clubhouse'' (Blue Note, 1979 965 *'' Wee Dot'' (SteepleChase, 2003 965 *'' Loose Walk'' (SteepleChase, 2004 965 *'' Misty'' (SteepleChase, 2004 965 *'' Heartaches'' (SteepleChase, 2004 965 *'' Ladybird'' (SteepleChase, 2005 965 *'' Stella by Starlight'' (SteepleChase, 2005 966 *'' The Squirrel'' (Blue Note, 2001 967 *''Satin Doll'' (SteepleChase, 2012 967 *'' Both Sides of Midnight'' (Black Lion, 1988 967 *'' Body and Soul'' (Black Lion, 1988 967 *'' Take The "A" Train'' (Black Lion, 1989 967 *''After Hours'' (SteepleChase, 1986, 969 *''After Midnight'' (SteepleChase, 1986, 969 *''Live at the Amsterdam Paradiso'' (Catfish, 1971 969 *'' A Day in Copenhagen'' (MPS, 1969) – with Slide Hampton *'' The Tower of Power!'' (Prestige, 1969) – with James Moody *'' More Power!'' (Prestige, 1969) *''L.T.D. Live At The Left Bank'' (Prestige, 2001 969 *''XXL Live At The Left Bank'' (Prestige, 2002 969 *'' Some Other Spring'' (Sonet, 1970) – with Karin Krog *'' Dexter Gordon with Junior Mance at Montreux'' (Prestige, 1970, with Junior Mance) *'' The Panther!'' (Prestige, 1970, with Tommy Flanagan and Alan Dawson. Prestige Records) *'' Live at the Both/And Club, San Francisco'' (BPM BPE-6101, 1970, with

George Duke George Martin Duke (January 12, 1946 – August 5, 2013) was an American keyboardist, composer, singer-songwriter and record producer. He worked with numerous artists as arranger, music director, writer and co-writer, record producer and as ...

and Donald Garrett and Oliver Johnson) *'' The Chase!'' (Prestige, 1970, with

) *'' The Jumpin' Blues'' (Prestige, 1970, with

) *''Those Were The Days'' (Moon, 1995 967–71 *'' The Shadow Of Your Smile'' ( Steeplechase SCCD-31206 1971) *'' Tangerine'' (Prestige, 1975 972 *'' Ca'Purange'' (Prestige, 1972, with

, Hank Jones, Stanley Clarke and Louis Hayes) *''

Generation A generation is all of the people born and living at about the same time, regarded collectively. It also is "the average period, generally considered to be about 20–⁠30 years, during which children are born and grow up, become adults, and b ...

'' (Prestige, 1972, with Freddie Hubbard,

Cedar Walton Cedar Anthony Walton Jr. (January 17, 1934 – August 19, 2013) was an American hard bop jazz pianist. He came to prominence as a member of drummer Art Blakey's band, The Jazz Messengers, before establishing a long career as a bandleader and c ...

and others) *''Afterhours/The Great Pescara Jam Sessions Vol 1&2'' (Ports Song, 1973, with Eric Ineke) *'' Blues à la Suisse'' (Prestige, 1973) *'' The Montmartre Collection Vol.II - Blues Walk'' (Black Lion Records, 1974) *'' Candlelight Lady'' ( SteepleChase, 2014 974 *'' The Apartment'' ( SteepleChase, 1974) *'' The Rainbow People'' (Steeplechase, 2002 974 with Benny Bailey) *''Round Midnight'' (SteepleChase, 1991 974 with Benny Bailey) *''Revelation'' (SteepleChase, 1995 974 with Benny Bailey) *'' More Than You Know'' (SteepleChase, 1975) with Orchestra arranged and conducted by Palle Mikkelborg *'' Stable Mable'' (SteepleChase, 1975) *'' Something Different'' (SteepleChase, 1975) *''

Bouncin' with Dex ''Bouncin' with Dex'' is an album led by saxophonist Dexter Gordon recorded in 1975 and released on the Danish SteepleChase Records, SteepleChase label.

'' (SteepleChase, 1975) *'' Swiss Nights Vol. 1'' (SteepleChase, 1976 975 *'' Swiss Nights Vol. 2'' (SteepleChase, 1978 975 *'' Swiss Nights Vol. 3'' (SteepleChase, 1979 975 *'' Live in Chateauvallon'' (Elemental, 11/8/78 Lullaby for a Monster'' (SteepleChase, 1981 020) *'' Lullaby for a Monster'' (SteepleChase, 1981 True Blue'' (Xanadu Records">Xanadu, 1976, with Al Cohn">Xanadu_Records.html" ;"title="976 *'' True Blue'' ( Xanadu, 1976, with Al Cohn) *''Silver Blue (album)">Silver Blue'' (Xanadu Records">Xanadu, 1976, with Al Cohn">Xanadu Records">Xanadu, 1976, with Al Cohn) *''Silver Blue (album)">Silver Blue'' (Xanadu Records">Xanadu, 1976, with Al Cohn) *'' Biting the Apple'' (SteepleChase, 1976) *''Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard'' (Columbia, 1976, with

, Ronnie Mathews, Stafford James, Louis Hayes) *'' Jazz Classics'' (Aurophon, 1977, with

, Bucky Pizzarelli, Hank Jones, George Duvivier, Candido Camero, Oliver Jackson) *'' Sophisticated Giant'' ( Columbia, 1977, with 11-piece big-band including

, Slide Hampton,

, and Benny Bailey) *''Manhattan Symphonie'' (Columbia, 1978, with Rufus Reid – bass, Eddie Gladden – percussion, and

– keyboard) *Great Encounters (Columbia, 1979) *''Live at Carnegie Hall'' (Columbia, 1998 978 2 tracks with Johnny Griffin) *''North Sea Jazz Legendary Concerts'' (North Sea Jazz, 1979) *''Nights at the Keystone, Volumes 1-3'' (1979, Blue Note; CD release 1990) *'' The Montmartre Collection Vol.I'' (Black Lion Records, 1981) *''

Gotham City Gotham City ( ), or simply Gotham, is a fictional city in the Northeastern United States that serves as the primary city appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is best known as the home of the superhero Batman and his List ...

'' (Columbia, 1981, with

, George Benson, Percy Heath, Art Blakey) *''American Classic'' ( Elektra/Musician, 1982, featuring Grover Washington Jr. and Shirley Scott) *'' The Other Side of Round Midnight'' ( Blue Note, 1986)

As sideman

With

* '' The Chase!'' (Prestige, 1970) * '' Gene Ammons and Friends at Montreux'' (Prestige, 1973) With

*''Dexter Gordon, Vol. 1 Young Dex 1941-1944'' (Masters Of Jazz MJCD 112) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra 1944-1945'' (Blue Ace BA 3603) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS One Night Stand 240) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS One Night Stand 253) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS One Night Stand 267) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong New Orleans Masters, Vol. 2'' (Swing House (E) SWH 44) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS Spotlight Bands 382) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong – Chronological Study'' (MCA Decca 3063 72) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS Spotlight Bands 444) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong And His Orchestra'' (AFRS Spotlight Bands 465) ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Various Artists, Louis, Pops And Tram'' (IAJRC 21) (off V-Disc, 1944) * ''Louis Armstrong Armed Forces Radio Service 1943/44'' (Duke (It) D 1021) With

* ''The Fabulous Benny Carter'' (1946, Audio Lab AL 1505) * ''Benny Carter And His Orchestra''
AFRS Jubilee 246
( V-Disc, 1947) * ''Various Artists – Jazz Off The Air, Vol. 3'' (Spotlite (E) SPJ 147) (off V-Disc 1947) With Billy Eckstine * ''The Chronological Billy Eckstine and His Orchestra, 1944-1945'' (CD, Classic Records rance 1997) * ''Billy Eckstine, The Legendary Big Band'' (SVY 17125) With

* ''Dexter Gordon, Vol. 2 Young Dex 1944-1946'' (Masters Of Jazz MJCD 128) * ''Dizzy Gillespie – Groovin' High'' (Savoy MG 12020, 1992; SV 152, 2010) With

* ''Dexter Gordon, Vol. 1 Young Dex 1941-1944'' (Masters Of Jazz MJCD 112) * ''Lionel Hampton, Vol. 1: 1941-1942'' (Coral (G) COPS 7185) * '' Decca Jazz Heritage Series DL-79244'' With

* '' Takin' Off'' (Blue Note, 1962) * '' Round Midnight'' (1986), Columbia Records With Fletcher Henderson * ''Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra''
AFRS Jubilee 76
, ( V-Disc, 1944) * ''Fletcher Henderson And His Orchestra''
AFRS Jubilee 77
, ( V-Disc, 1944) With Helen Humes * ''Various Artists – Black California'' (Savoy SJL 2215) * ''Helen Humes – Be-Baba-Leba 1942-52'' (Whiskey, Women And... Gene Norman "Just Jazz" concert, February 2, 1952, KM 701) * ''Helen Humes – New Million Dollar Secret'' (Whiskey, Women And... Gene Norman "Just Jazz" concert, February 2, 1952, KM 707) With Jackie McLean * '' The Meeting'' (SteepleChase, 1974) * '' The Source'' (SteepleChase, 1974) With Gerry Mulligan * ''Gerry Mulligan – Capitol Jazz Classics, Vol. 4: Walking Shoes'' (Capitol M 11029) * ''Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions'' (Mosaic MQ19-170) With Leo Parker * ''The Be Bop Boys'' (Savoy SJL 2225) * ''Leo Parker – Birth Of Bop, Vol. 1'' (Savoy XP 8060) With Pony Poindexter * '' Pony's Express'' (Epic, 1962) * '' Stella By Starlight'' (co leader) (SteepleChase 1966) With Jimmy Rushing * ''Jimmy Rushing/Don Redman/Russell Jacquet/Joe Thomas – Big Little Bands'' (1946, Onyx ORI 220) * ''Black California, Vol. 2: Anthology'' (1946, Savoy SJL 2242) With others * Rob Agerbeek, ''All Souls'' (Dexterity, 1972, with Eric Ineke and others) *

, ''Berlin'' (Columbia, 1987) * Ralph Burns, ''Various Artists – OKeh Jazz'' (Epic EG 37315) *

Nat King Cole Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 – February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, alternatively billed as Nat "King" Cole, was an American singer, jazz pianist, and actor. Cole's career as a jazz and Traditional pop, pop ...

, ''Nat King Cole Meets The Master Saxes'' 1943 (Phoenix Jazz LP 5) *

, ''Tadd Dameron/Babs Gonzales/Dizzy Gillespie – Capitol Jazz Classics, Vol. 13: Strictly Bebop'' (Capitol M 11059) * Booker Ervin, '' Setting the Pace'' (Prestige, 1965) * Lowell Fulson, ''Lowell Fulson'' (Swing Time 320) *

, ''Wynonie Harris – Love Is Like Rain / Your Money Don't Mean A Thing (Come Live With Me Baby)'' (King 4217) *

, '' Philly Mignon'' (Galaxy, 1977) * Stan Levey, ''Stan Levey – This Time The Drum's On Me'' (Bethlehem BCP 37) *

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

, ''Charlie Parker – Every Bit Of It 1945'' (Spotlite (E) SPJ 150D) * Les Thompson, ''Les Thompson – Gene Norman Presents Just Jazz'' (RCA Victor LPM 3102) *

, ''Ben Webster Nonet'' (1945, Jazz Archives JA 35)

References

External links

*
Sophisticated Giant: The Dexter Gordon Discography
* *

Dexter Gordon: 12 Essential Tracks
by Eric Novod (www.jazz.com) *
Dexter Gordon Collection
at th
Library of Congress
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordon, Dexter 1923 births 1990 deaths 20th-century American saxophonists African-American jazz musicians American male jazz composers American jazz tenor saxophonists American male saxophonists Bebop saxophonists Blue Note Records artists Columbia Records artists David di Donatello winners Deaths from kidney failure in the United States Grammy Award winners Hard bop saxophonists Jazz musicians from Los Angeles Savoy Records artists SteepleChase Records artists Swing saxophonists Xanadu Records artists American expatriates in Denmark American expatriates in France Deaths from cancer in Pennsylvania Deaths from laryngeal cancer in the United States 20th-century American male musicians Black Lion Records artists 20th-century American jazz composers Sonet Records artists 20th-century African-American musicians DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame members NEA Jazz Masters