Dexter Gordon - Ballads: Dexter Gordon

Dexter Gordon was one of the top ballad players of the '60s. Having already made his name in the bebop era and as an expatriate in Europe, Gordon returned to the States to record a series of fine Blue Note discs during the first half of the decade. This edition of the label's Ballads series features Gordon at his peak and in the company of some of hard bop's best players. Gordon delivers his almost sleepy and smoke-filled solos with real grace. The same can also be said of the rest of this incredible program, including a latter-day live cut from 1978. A perfect set for those in need of a provocative after-hours session in front of the stereo. Album Description

Iconic

Perfect for a night stretched out in a large leather chair, the lights dimmed, a glass of scotch in hand... One luxuriates in the richness of Dexter Gordon's horn playing over a collection of some of the greatest jazz pianists in history. November 9, 2007

If you like sax, check this out...

Dexter Gordon was one of the BEST saxophone players! I love this album
of mellow ballads. So cool, I'm glad I found it. February 26, 2007

My Favorite Jazz Album So Far

I will admit first off that I am not a jazz aficionado just yet, and my knowledge of the styles, performers, and countless sessions is quite limited. For what it's worth, however, this album provided me with more experiences than any other I've heard so far, and is certainly the one I adore the most.

The cover gives one a clue of what is to be found inside--nothing but a cool, slow, melodic combination of a raspy saxophone and a clear-toned piano that begs to be listened on a relaxing, breezy evening. The first handful of tracks are my favorites, but there isn't a single one one there that I would consider filler or hollow.

Miles Davis may well have given birth to cool jazz, and Kind of Blue may well be the most popular jazz album out there, but I would take this one over it any day. January 7, 2007

BEAUTIFUL BALLADS

If you want to sit back, relax, and enjoy a truly great jazz album, then this one is it. No hard bop here, just beautiful melodies played with style, grace, and excellent phrasing and intonation. Dexter Gordon's skill at playing the saxophone is unquestioned, and this CD has him playing in a much more laid back mood. Not a bad selection on this whole CD. December 22, 2006

One inadequate sampler plus an unwieldy elephant

This collection, like "The Gentle Side of John Coltrane," assembles a number of ballad highlights from a major tenor troubador's seminal sessions. And like the Coltrane collection, which closes with a furious, on-location "I Want to Talk About You," this one closes with on-location fireworks--the hyped-up approach Dexter characteristically brought to "Body and Soul" toward the end of his career. Problem is, his sensitive reading of the tune 7 years earlier on a studio date, "The Panther," on which he's joined by an equally inspired Tommy Flanagan, beats this one hands down. With the exception of this inferior B&S and "I'm a Fool to Want You" (from "Clubhouse"), all of these tunes are on indispensable recordings that no fan of Dexter would want to be without. Go with the original programs, and pass up this elephant for The Panther. July 1, 2006

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