Customer Reviews

Swingin Affair

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The most recent batch of six RVG reissues (2/21/06) has left me scratching my head, as the original CD incarnations of four of these titles have never even gone out-of-print, and are still readily available, even new on Amazon. Certainly, there are more deserving titles to re-release that have actually been missing from the catalog for years, but I guess EMI must have plans to make most every golden-era Blue Note album an RVG edition at this point. To be fair, "A Swingin' Affair" is another classic recording from Dexter Gordon's renaissance period, and it is great to have it available in this remastered version. In fact, "Affair" is my favorite Dex Blue Note! Those who have read my reviews know I enjoy his other albums for the label (see "Doin' Allright," "Dexter Calling," "Our Man in Paris," "One Flight Up" and "Gettin' Around"), but there is just something magical about his two albums made with the rhythm trio of Sonny Clark, Butch Warren and Billy Higgins. And while many people will agree with that statement, most also place a higher value on "Go" and not "Affair," recorded two days later on August 29, 1962. But for some reason the second session has always caught my fancy, whether it was the latin flavored "Soy Califa," the best ever rendition of "You Stepped Out of a Dream," or the infectious Warren-penned "The Backbone." Take my word for it, after just one listen, you'll never want this "Affair" to end.

If I had to choose only one CD out of Dexter's recordings for Blue Note (i.e. Go!, Our Man In Paris,...), I would definitely choose "A Swingin' Affair". This session is maybe not as intense as "Go!" but... what a warm, round sound! Billy Higgins does an amazing job on the drums and Sonny Clarck is impeccable. Dexter is at his best. Highlights are the first two tracks. In "Soy Califa", Dexter is amazing of humor, of energy and of mastery. "Don't Explain" (one of the two ballads of this CD) is wonderfully interpreted: his enormous tone sets a melancholic mood in just a few chords and it lasts for over 6 minutes of intense pleasure. Enjoy! As an extra bonus: an excellent quality of recording.

It is purely my opinion that Alfred Lion upon hearing the finished product of Herbie Hancock's "Takin' Off" record debut as a leader, decided to grab drummer Billy Higgins & bassist Butch Warren to support Dexter again on this album and "Go!" Their swinging way of playing slightly behind the beat perfectly complements Dexter's preference for performing like-wise. I'm not a big fan of ballads but Billie Holiday's "Don't Explain" is breathtaking in its beauty. My favorite cuts are Butch Warren's "The Backbone" and Dexter's "McSplivens."

How do you select among Dexter's many stellar recordings? Even a session such as "The Panther," which Amazon currently lists 24th among his recordings, should in no way be considered inessential, containing as it does a "Body and Soul" that matches if not eclipses Coleman Hawkins' signature version. As for "A Swingin' Affair," take Dexter's solo on "You Stepped Out of a Dream" and compare it to Rollins' solo on the same tune from "Sonny Rollins Vol.2." Dexter's improvisation strikes me not only as the more lyrical and imaginative but as the more definitive and assured. In fact, listening repeatedly to this compelling storyteller's recordings is to acquire increasing evidence that his may be the one name deserving mention alongside Coltrane's 1960-1965. And as for 1968-1980, Mr. Long Tall stands above the field.

If there's a "downside" to the recording, it's the ridiculously exaggerated separation that confines Dexter's tenor saxophone to one channel and the rhythm section to the other. Let's hope consumer demand justifies a re-mastered edition.

Just two days after recording Go!, Dexter Gordon reentered the studio with the same group of musicians (Sonny Clark: piano, Butch Warren: bass, Billy Higgins: drums) and set down the music that would become A Swingin' Affair. Go! Seems to have received most of the critical attention, and while I'll not deny that that album is a classic (see my review), I find A Swingin' Affair to be the more enjoyable album. Both albums are well played, but I think the song selection on A Swingin' Affair is just a tad stronger. The album begins with "Soy Califa", an infectious Latin tinged bop, which in my opinion is superior to any of the tracks on Go!. Another standout track is the ballad "Don't Explain". Dexter's tone on this track is exquisite, as he manages to take all the power and body of his horn and channel it at a much lower volume, perfectly suiting the mood of the song. "You Stepped Out of A Dream" is another exemplary ballad. "The Backbone", composed by bassist Warren is a snappy number that'll make you tap your feet. "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is another nice mid-tempo groover, and the album closes with "McSplivens", a Gordon original named for his dog. The musicians are excellent throughout and it's obvious why Blue Note wanted them back in the studio so soon after completing Go!. I simply can't say enough about Dexter Gordon. His tone is as deep as the Cayman Trench, his sense of melody superb. My favorite album of his remains One Flight Up, but A Swingin' Affair would be a solid choice for any jazz fan.

As good an introduction to Dexter's great Blue Note renaissance as it's possible to think of, and very probably the best of the lot. Worth buying for the opening track 'Soy Califa' alone - a bouncing samba that unleashes Dexter at his most joyful and propulsive, one of those rare moments when you know you've stumbled upon something really fresh. Few musicians had his ability to really COMMUNICATE with listeners and an audience, and this album gives you an insight into why his warmth and directness were so welcomed at this period. Hard Bop at times, let's be honest, had a tendancy to rather arid displays of pyrotechnics at the expense of creativity and enjoyment. Never thus was Dexter! The accompanying musicians are superb as well, especially Sonny Clark and Billy Higgins, a really tasteful, swinging, cliche-free drummer. Highly recommended.

Dexter Gordon was one of the great tenor players and leaders, and this is probably his best album. The warmth and richness of his tone and his invigoratingly live rhythmic sense made all the cuts on this session outstanding, but on "Soy Califa" he outdid himself, with Billy Higgins and his great cymbal work matching him every step of the exhilarating way. Dexter told the truth here--he was "Califa"!

When listening to this CD, two questions were on my mind. First, what was it about Dexter Gordon that made him a favorite tenor among so many great tenor players who were associated with free jazz ? Second, what has Dexter Gordon added to the bebop tradition which is clearly his main source of musical ideas ?
Listening to Dexter's solo on Soy Califa I thought I had an answer to the first question. While playing completely within the bebop tradition in terms of harmony and structure, Dexter's sound seems to exploding out of his saxophone. While in terms of melody and harmony he could be compared to someone like Hank Mobley (whom I love), Gordon's sound has this certain edge that must have been appreciated by people such as John Coltrane and Dewey Redman, who, among others, said they were influenced by him.
The answer to the second question came somewhat later, when I heard the last ballad (Until the real thing...). While harmonically I don't see any development from Parker's ideas, rhythmically there is a difference approace, the notes are more evenly distributed, and the improvisation is somewhat more linear (although still based on chords). These two properties were certainly taken much further by Coltrane, but Gordon may have taken them the furthest while still playing within the bebop idiom.
One thing is certain - Dexter Gordon was one of the best studio performers ever - his studio recordings, at least for me, are even better than his live ones. Albums such as this one, Dexter Calling, and Go, that feature Gordon in a quartet setting, are so exciting and fresh (I heard them on LP 20 years ago - they sound just as fresh today), that I can't see how a serious jazz fan can afford to miss any of them.

While I have all the Bluenote,Savoy,Black Lion & Columbia Dexter recordings in my collection, I still place this album on "My Favorite Top 15" Jazz albums recorded between 1949 and 1967 - always pure pleasure to listen to!

Dexter speaks to me! He plays musically and with notes that I can understand. Sometimes he is soft and sometimes he is loud. He was a master of the tenor saxophone. The recording and mastering of this CD were done with great care by the Rudy van Gelder studio.