Dexter Gordon
Our Man In Paris

"Our Man In Paris" is a little gem of seven tracks recorded in Paris in 1963. Label Blue Note. Dexter Gordon, a sort of messiah of the tenor sax, accompanied by the majestic and restless Bud Powell (piano), Pierre Michelot (expert double bassist) and Kenny Clarke on drums. The names are highlighted on the album cover where a thoughtful Dexter Gordon stands out.

In the sixties, amid the great leaders of the tenor sax, phenomena such as Coleman Hawkins and Lester Young stood out and their stylistic influence was quite significant. Therefore, Gordon must be considered a great, as he managed to impose his talent and style nonetheless.

The young Gordon had handled himself in the orchestras of Lionel Hampton and Louis Armstrong and already from the first recordings, one could perceive his intention to combine the classical lines of the sax and Charlie Parker's aesthetic influences.
His sound was powerful, impetuous, in line with Coleman Hawkins, but, in essence, he managed to combine multiple aesthetics to become, in a word, contemporary. Even John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, for instance, were greatly influenced by his style.

In the Blue Note recordings, Dexter appears in the prime of his faculties (he had drug problems in the '50s), and in this album, his interpretation of "Scrapple From The Apple" and "A Night In Tunisia" denote his swing, dynamism, and melodic creativity.

"Broadway" is a tribute to the exuberant joy of master Lester. His masterful way of interpreting ballads with a deep tone, economy, and moving lyricism (he always insisted that to tell a story, knowing the music of a song is as important as knowing its lyrics) is apparent in "Willow Weep For Me" and "Starway To The Star".

If nothing else, a great background from Bud Powell, plus the modernity of Kenny Clarke's jazz drumming, which impart wisdom and confidence to the work, plus Michelot's experience with the double bass make this album, as said at the beginning, a little gem.

A little gem to be enjoyed with patience and dedication because Dexter's style is very profound, of impressive wisdom, injected with disarming melancholy, never a weak point, and invites repeated listening focused on the details. The clarity of this quartet of formidable professionals in full command of their means is an example of how this sixties jazz is at the pinnacle of stylistic intensity.

In the '80s, Gordon also received an Oscar nomination for his role in "Jazz Around Midnight", one of the most important films on the world of jazz.

Gordon passed away in 1990 and although he was not a leading figure during his lifetime, today, he is fully acknowledged among the immortal geniuses who have written the history of jazz.