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Dexter Gordon

Profile via TMDB · Courtesy of TMDB

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Dexter Gordon

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Also known as Dexter Keith Gordon

American jazz saxophonist (1923–1990)

Person · Open Library

Works
4

Top works

  • Dexter Gordon - Jazz Saxophone Solos (Songbook)
  • Jamey Aebersold Jazz -- Dexter Gordon, Vol 82
  • Dexter Gordon
  • Dexter Gordon - Jazz Saxophone Solos

via Open Library + Wikidata

Film & TV

Acting · Los Angeles, California, USA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist and an Academy Award-nominated actor (Round Midnight, Warner Bros, 1986). He is regarded as one of the first and most important musicians to adapt the bebop musical language of people like Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the tenor saxophone. His…

Known for

  • Cool Cats — Self (archive footage)2015
  • Jazz Icons: Dexter Gordon Live in '63 and '642007
  • Dexter Gordon: More Than You Know — Himself1996
  • Satchmo: The Life of Louis Armstrong — Self1992
  • Awakenings — Rolando1990
  • 'Round Midnight — Dale Turner1986
  • Before Midnight — Self (archive footage)1986
  • Stop for Bud — Narrator (voice)1963
  • Unchained — Saxophone Player (uncredited)1955
  • Dexter Gordon at Jazzhus Montmartre in '69 — Tenor Saxophone

via TMDB

Listeners · Last.fm

Listeners
610,046
Total plays
5,714,106

Tags

jazzbebopsaxophoneHard BopTenor Sax

Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. He was among the earliest tenor players to adapt the bebop musical language of people such as Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Bud Powell to the instrument. His studio and live performance career spanned over 40 years. Gordon's height was 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm), so he was also known as "Long Tall Dexter" and "Sophisticated Giant". He played a Conn 10M Lady Face until 1964. <a href="https://www.last.

via Last.fm · Dexter Gordon

Key facts

Also known as
Long Tall Dexter
Born
Dexter Keith Gordon , ( 1923-02-27 ) February 27, 1923, Los Angeles , California, U.S.
Died
April 25, 1990 (1990-04-25) (aged 67), Philadelphia , Pennsylvania, U.S.
Genres
Jazz swing bebop hard bop
Occupations
Musician composer bandleader
Instruments
Tenor saxophone soprano saxophone
Years active
1940–1986
Labels
Blue Note Savoy Columbia
Website
dextergordon .com

via Wikipedia infobox

~22 min read

Encyclopedic overview

Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz tenor saxophonist, composer, and bandleader. He was among the most influential early bebop musicians. Gordon's height was 6 feet 6 inches (198 cm), 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. Gordon, in turn, was an early influence on John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Rollins and Coltrane then influenced Gordon's playing as he explored hard bop and modal playing during the 1960s.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Dexter Gordon” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (2)