Customer Reviews

Xxl

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Dexter Gordon, on tenor, is presented here by the Left Bank Jazz Society at the Famous Ballroom in Baltimore, MD; 05/04/69.

All of this was previously unreleased until this 2002 Fantasy CD release. There's a 24 minute version of "Rhythm-a-ning"; a 10 minute version of "Misty"; and a 22 minute version of "Love for Sale." The group includes Bobby Timmons on piano; Victor Gaskin on bass; and Percy Brice on drums. This was probably released so late due to the extreme song lengths and a bit of distortion in the tape. However, the instruments are recorded pretty well, and we get to hear Timmons in good form so late in his career.

This is a solid bit of Dexter from a time that he was generally under-represented (though not un-represented) on record. The rest of what Dexter did on 05/04/69 can be heard on L.T.D. Live at the Left Bank. If you are just starting listening to Dexter Gordon, then focus first on his Blue Note albums. I would give this album 4 or 5 stars, but the sound quality is a bit lacking compared to his studio albums for Blue Note, Prestige and other labels, as well as a lot of his live sessions for Steeplechase.

By the way, if you haven't seen Dexter in the movie 'Round Midnight, I would recommend it here. It's the ultimate fictionalized biopic of a fictional jazzman. I believe Dexter's character is supposed to be based on a mixture of different people, especially Bud Powell. The rent party scene is a personal favorite. In this movie, Dexter is on stage for long periods of time, and there are character appearances by Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson. The soundtrack is really good too. My appreciation of Dexter Gordon and his music is and forever will be influenced by his touching performance in this movie.