Customer Reviews

Jazz Icons: Dexter Gordon Live in '63 & '64

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Dexter Gordon fans will find plenty to love on this DVD of three European TV shows filmed in the 1960s. Dexter is in top form on seven songs, really stretching out and getting the lion's share of the solo time.

The band on "Second Balcony Jump" and "You've Changed" consists of Dexter, Kenny Drew(p), Gilbert "Bibi" Rovere(b), and Art Taylor(d). The rest of the program has George Gruntz(p), Guy Pedersen(b), and Daniel Humair(d) backing Dexter on "A Night in Tunisia", "What's New", Clifford Brown's "Blues Walk", "Lady Bird", and "Body and Soul". The ballads are masterful and gorgeous (of course). I think "You've Changed" is even better here than on his "Doin' Alright" album.

You can find some of these performances on youtube if you want an idea of what you'll get, just keep in mind the picture and sound quality are much better on the DVD (quite good in fact). Also, the liner notes by Dexter's widow are excellent- informative and very entertaining.

If you're a fan of Dexter's Blue Note albums you won't be disappointed. If you're unfamiliar with this tenor giant, this is a good place to start.

There have been many sax players during the short jazz history... few stand out.... Dexter is one of them...and except the trumpet in early years...sax probably is THE instrument associated with jazz after the 40's....picture a late night foggy night inside a smoked filled club...you see a musician playing a jazz ballad...well that's what you get in this DVD....

Dexter had come up right during the be-bop years...unlike the sax players before him who had one leg into swing era and one into the new be-bop...Dexter was all be-bop...and later hard-bop...

In my opinion there are very few sax players that can squize the juice out of a BALLAD and dexter was one of them...in this DVD..he does You've Changed and What's New...nobody can play the ballad quite like Dexter...on other upbeat tunes..he has a way of ..climbing the mood with layer after layer which you can see and hear it on this DVD...with great picture and amazing sound....lots of sax players' styles have been copied ..but you can't copy Dexter...you know it's him from 10-miles away..very definit staring note and ending note....he was the ultimate COOL DUDE....if someone says I like to hear or see a good vintage jazz DVD...this is it...buy it...!!

Watch this DVD..see how COOL this guy was....I have most of his CD's..and could not wait to get this DVD to see him in person..during the hight of his career. You get it all in this DVD...

I loved this DVD! My father and I had seen Dex in Detroit at Baker's Keyboard Lounge in the '80s. It was by far the coolest thing I have ever done in my life. I have watched this DVD over and over and each time I hear something different. I ordered a copy for myself and my Dad. I live in Hawaii but I could picture his face when he sat down to listen and watch the DVD. I told him once he watched the DVD he would be speaking in tongues. I knew he would lose his mind. I think Dex is the ballad master and there are some nice ballads on this DVD. You've Changed is one of my favorites. Buy this DVD! You will not be disappointed!

This is the 2nd of this series that I have viewed.
This is acceptable visual. quite good for the date.
This showcases Dexter at his best. This is a must
for die hard fans of his, that must see this great
saxophonist perform. If only we could have had color.

Gordon never played better than he did in the early Sixties. This DVD captures him at three different venues in 1963 and 1964 with the robust support of two different rhythm sections. Dexter sounds and looks great, and the audio and video quality are both excellent. What's not to like? Buy it.

Dexter Gordon. You either love him or ... well, you don't. You've got to admit that there are any number of his contemporaries who exceeded his talents on the tenor, from erstwhile compatriot Teddy Edwards through the underrated Booker Ervin (with a whole list in-between: Trane, Rollins, Land, Mobley, Golson, and so on). But none of these guys could beat Gordon in the mystique department. Gordon was tall, handsome, honeytongued and not a little odd, and his whole persona just screams "legendary". If that's your fix, this DVD gives it to you in spades - from the very opening frames, in which we see Dex in a trenchcoat and porkpie hat walking down a dark lane and ducking into a swinging Amersterdam jazz club, before picking up his axe and diving into his set. He's backed by a European pick-up band, three white boys who really know how to play. On the uptempo numbers, you can hear Gordon's link to Trane and on the slower tunes his link to Rollins, but he doesn't dig in nearly as deep as either of these guys. Watch this DVD for its full length, and you realise Gordon has emptied his bag of tricks pretty quick. But he sure was handsome.