JCR1992 Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 I'm a big Dexter Gordon fan I have 15 of his CD's in my collection so far. Mostly all his Blue Note and Columbia albums. I do have some oddballs like Live at the Both/and Club San Francisco, Daddy Plays the Horn, and American Classic. I see he has many albums released on Steeplechase. Which are the good ones and which ones also have good quality? Some of the samples I've listened to sound like they aren't remastered or were either originally bootlegs. Also, any other suggestions to any music he is featured on would be great. Thanks! Quote
John Tapscott Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Really good sounding studio date, IMO (with Kenny Drew, NHOP, "Tootie" Heath). Quote
mjzee Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Here are two I love: Also, don't overlook these: Quote
paul secor Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 I Want More sounded good to me the last time I listened. There have been some concerns about the sound. I have the Boplicity LP and that sounds fine - as does the music. Quote
JCR1992 Posted August 30, 2014 Author Report Posted August 30, 2014 I checked out the apartment and a day in Copenhagen so far. I love how both sound! I'm about to check out the rest. I Want More sounded good to me the last time I listened. There have been some concerns about the sound. I have the Boplicity LP and that sounds fine - as does the music. The "Dexter Plays Hot and Cool" CD is in my Amazon wishlist. The tunes I've heard from that are phenomenal and better than his "Daddy Plays the Horn" album which I enjoy. But I'll check out the other album as well. Thank you! Quote
paul secor Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 I checked out the apartment and a day in Copenhagen so far. I love how both sound! I'm about to check out the rest. I Want More sounded good to me the last time I listened. There have been some concerns about the sound. I have the Boplicity LP and that sounds fine - as does the music. The "Dexter Plays Hot and Cool" CD is in my Amazon wishlist. The tunes I've heard from that are phenomenal and better than his "Daddy Plays the Horn" album which I enjoy. But I'll check out the other album as well. Thank you! I like Blows Hot and Cool way more than Daddy Plays the Horn. Quote
Jim R Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 (edited) First of all, do the sensible thing and collect everything he ever recorded. If that's too extreme, I would start by adding these to the above: The Jumpin' Blues (Prestige) The Tower Of Power (Prestige) More Power (Prestige) Bouncin' With Dex (Steeplechase) The Shadow Of Your Smile (Steeplechase) Swiss Nights, vols 1-3 (Steeplechase) And all of the Black Lion recordings from 1967 Edited August 30, 2014 by Jim R Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Like Jim, I like the Prestige albums a lot. My favourites are At Montreux (with Junior Mance) Ca' purange (with Thad & Hank Jones) Tangerine (more from the That session + 1 from the next LP) One I feel sure everyone (but me) would recommend is that next album Generation (with Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Busta Williams & Billy Higgins) I find that one's a bit too much like a jazz album for my taste. MG PS - Oh, the Black Lions done at Café Montmartre, Copenhagen are very nice as well. I tend to avoid Columbia so I've only got 2 of those. Quote
Jim R Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Like Jim, I like the Prestige albums a lot. My favourites are At Montreux (with Junior Mance) Ca' purange (with Thad & Hank Jones) Tangerine (more from the That session + 1 from the next LP) One I feel sure everyone (but me) would recommend is that next album Generation (with Freddie Hubbard, Cedar Walton, Busta Williams & Billy Higgins) I find that one's a bit too much like a jazz album for my taste. MG PS - Oh, the Black Lions done at Café Montmartre, Copenhagen are very nice as well. I tend to avoid Columbia so I've only got 2 of those. Tangerine was one of my earliest Dexter purchases, and I still go back to it fairly often. Generation never hit me either... haven't heard it in a long time. To get the complete picture, I would also recommend "The Other Side Of Round Midnight" on BN. A different sound, but very rewarding, imo. He even pulls out the soprano. Quote
Victor Christensen Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Like JimR says get them all, I have 90 of his CD's (not complete), many of the Steeplechase were broadcasts (there were a weekly one hour broadcast from Jazzhus Montmartre (in Copenhagen, Denmark) where Dex sometimes in the summer months had three month gigs. I would recommend you to try to find his tenorbattle (titled "The Chase") with Wardell Gray, the long version, almost 12 minutes, I think you can search under Wardell Gray, who was Dex's great friend and also a great tenorplayer to collect.. Nothing Dex have recorded compares to have heard him live during the sixties, he was something else. Vic Quote
Morganized Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Get the Steeplechase box set of his studio work and then pick up the live albums... This is Dex at the pinnacle of his powers IMHO. As someone else stated above, The Black Lions recorded live at the Jazzhus Montmartre are excellent. Quote
mjzee Posted August 30, 2014 Report Posted August 30, 2014 Does anyone here own the CD + DVD package of Dexter @ North Sea Jazz? Was wondering if it's worth getting for the DVD. Quote
JCR1992 Posted August 31, 2014 Author Report Posted August 31, 2014 Everybody thank you so much for all the posts its so much music to check out but I'm certainly not complaining! After Trane, Dex is my favorite tenor player so I'm trying to build my collection up! Quote
Chuck Nessa Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 Late to the game but feel compelled to say "First get the 3 Black Lions and the complimentary Jazz Colours discs." Quote
soulpope Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 (edited) There is a couple of fine Steeplechase recordings ("Swiss Night 1-3" in particular), but (to me) ahead of all is with Gordon thriwing with the b/dr structure, N.O. Pedersen playing some MONSTER bass here and A. Riel being non less than rocksteady... Edited August 31, 2014 by soulpope Quote
Morganized Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 Late to the game but feel compelled to say "First get the 3 Black Lions and the complimentary Jazz Colours discs." I agree with Chuck on this. Never really got Dexter until I picked these up. Once I understood, couldn't get enough. It's all there on these 3 discs IMHO. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 There's also a Prestige album called 'The chase' - a live gig with Gene Ammons from 1970 - which is pretty jazzy MG Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 Like JimR says get them all, I have 90 of his CD's (not complete), many of the Steeplechase were broadcasts (there were a weekly one hour broadcast from Jazzhus Montmartre (in Copenhagen, Denmark) where Dex sometimes in the summer months had three month gigs. I would recommend you to try to find his tenorbattle (titled "The Chase") with Wardell Gray, the long version, almost 12 minutes, I think you can search under Wardell Gray, who was Dex's great friend and also a great tenorplayer to collect.. Nothing Dex have recorded compares to have heard him live during the sixties, he was something else. Vic Is this the material from the Wild Bill Moore gig that Teddy Reig recorded for his Bop label, which was reissued as a Savoy Jazz twofer called 'The hunt'? Those tunes have been renamed a few times, I think, so it's not easy to know which issue you're recommending. MG Quote
BFrank Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 I second the Steeplechase/Inner City catalog. I've never heard one that I didn't like. Quote
paul secor Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 It looks like almost every record that Dexter ever made has been recommended on this thread. Quote
clifford_thornton Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 The Montmartre records are just sublime. This one is cool too, if you can deal with Bennink : Quote
mjzee Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 The Montmartre records are just sublime. This one is cool too, if you can deal with Bennink : Another thumbs-up for this one. High energy music, just a delight. Quote
JSngry Posted August 31, 2014 Report Posted August 31, 2014 One more big strong rec for The Jumpin' Blues. Ca-RAZY. Quote
Gheorghe Posted September 1, 2014 Report Posted September 1, 2014 Does anyone here own the CD + DVD package of Dexter @ North Sea Jazz? Was wondering if it's worth getting for the DVD. Yeah, I have it, it´s great latterday Dex, from 1979 with the usual standard-program, starting with "It´s You Or No One", "More than you know", and "Backstairs". And don´t forget the "Hampton-style" jam with Arnett Cobb, Budd Johnson, playing "Flyin´Home". The only disapointment was, that Arnett Cobb didn´t solo on that. The DVD is great. Quite amusing is the belated start of Dexter on "It´s You Or No One", he was late, so the rhythm section started with an almost endless "intro", just that "bang bang bang" how they used to introduce the tune. Dexter is a bit shaky on the start of his solo, off course due to the fact that he "had his cups"......, well anyway, it´s worth purchasing.... Quote
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