 |  | One of the best of its era... |  |
This is my first Dexter CD, and I have wanted it for several years. The 38 minutes on here are well-spent, and they impress more with each listen. Still, there are CD's from the same period by John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins, Paul Desmond, Stan Getz, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, and Art Pepper in my collection that I like just as much if not a little more. "Go!" is often considered to be Dexter's best, and perhaps it is in the top 25 saxophone releases of the early '60's, but that was an era of jazz giants on that family of instruments, so the competition is fierce for the "very best albums" list. My favorite of the six tracks on here would be "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry" a lovely ballad seldom given a jazz instrumental treatment. Dexter's friends on this disc, Sonny Clark on the piano, Butch Warren on bass and Billy Higgins on drums really add a lot to the enjoyment here.
June 25, 2008Dexter Gordon recorded Go! in 1962, mere days before departing for an extended stay in Europe. He is joined on this classic session by Sonny Clark on piano, Butch Warren on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums. The liner notes state that this was one of Dexter's favorite sessions, a "classic", as he puts it. It's easy to see why, as this album cooks from start to finish. The interplay between the four musicians is fantastic and Dexter sounds simply amazing. There's no other tenor who sounds like he does. His tone is simply astonishing in its depth. The album opens with the Gordon original "Cheesecake" , a rollicking number that lets both Gordon and Clarke show off their chops. "Second Balcony Jump" is bop in the same vein, fresh and fun. The ballads all stand out here, with Gordon's version of "Love for Sale" a real treat. The album closes with a delightful version of "Three O'Clock in the Morning" where Dexter even throws in a bit of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". The Van Gelder remaster sounds incredible, very clear. A few days later, Blue Note would usher these same musicians back into the studio, the session producing A Swingin' Affair. If you enjoy Go!, I highly encourage you to check out that album as well, which to my mind is a subtle improvement over this session. That's no knock on Go!, which is an essential addition to any jazz collection.
March 24, 2008I thought the whole band played quite excellent and Dextor played with aggression, and beauty that is unheard of in some of todays players.
March 24, 2007Man, what a tone DG had on his sax!! There's not one note on this CD that doesn't sound like the best note ever recorded, not one that sounds out of place. A very melodic, solid, swinging CD. While Dexter seems to be firmly rooted in singable dance-band jazz, Sonny Clark's chromatic lines and voicings provide the perfect pull towards bop (a sort of soft-bop album, if there is such a thing). This CD (and Hank Mobley's "Soul Station", another gem of the same caliber) should never be out of reach of your stereo if you like tenor sax, good piano playing, or just plain jazz. Best money I ever spent, and I have 700 CDs.
Thanks!
June 1, 2006Like a countdown to a rocket launch,'Go' kicks off with
Butch Warren's bass and Billy Higgins on cymbals,setting up some serious kick ass blowin' by Dexter Gordon on his classic 'Cheese Cake', one of my all time favorite jazz numbers;my only complaint-as other reviewers have stated -is this classic cd's length-less than 40 minutes.In any case,Gordon considered 'Go' his best cd.
Tragically,soon after this cd was recorded in 1962,Sonny Clark,the great pianist on this album would die of a heroin od at 31.And in 1986,Gordon,who should've recieved the Oscar for his portrayal of Dale Turner,an expatriate tenor sax player in 'Round Midnight' was ripped off for the Oscar in 'Round Midnight.'
February 17, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(23 reviews)