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Dexter Gordon, 1923-1990
One of the bebop era's top tenor saxophonists, Dexter Gordon earned praise as "a master of harmonic subtleties." His career began when he joined Lionel Hampton's orchestra at seventeen and later gained momentum during his tenure with Billy Eckstine's formative band (1944–45). Collaborations with Charlie Parker followed, and soon Gordon was fronting his own trio and making a series of popular recordings. He worked principally as a freelance musician from 1946 to 1952 and gained notoriety by engaging in celebrated "duels" with fellow saxophonist Wardell Gray. But in the wake of two drug-related incarcerations in the 1950s, Gordon saw his performing opportunities evaporate in this country. In 1962 he left for Europe, where he lived and worked for the next fourteen years. Warmly welcomed when he returned to the United States for a concert tour in 1976, Gordon ended his exile and settled here permanently the following year. |