A multi-media celebration of the the lives and music of Dexter Gordon, and other American jazz musicians living in Europe in the 1960s.
Gordon’s sound was commonly characterized as being “large” and spacious and to play behind the beat. He was famous for humorously inserting musical quotes into his solos. 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.

Gordon’s genial and humorous stage presence advocated playing to communicate with the audience. One of his idiosyncratic rituals was to recite lyrics from each ballad before playing it!

Dexter Gordon’s soundtrack for the film, ‘Round Midnight, entitled The Other Side of Round Midnight won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Jazz Performance, Soloist. Herbie Hancock won the Academy Award for Best Music, Original Score. This legendary soundtrack was released in two parts: Round Midnight and The Other Side of Round Midnight.
Dexter Gordon Denmark 1967:
https://youtu.be/AfYsu3Zlbt8