Another Duke Ellington week, this time Duke with Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Mingus, Max Roach, and John Coltrane. Then we’re down Havana way with Cuban rapper/jazz vocalist Danay Suarez. And we conclude with Dexter Gordon stretching out on standards.
Long, tall Dex had this amazing Coleman Hawkins heft to his horn sound and at the same time Dex had the light touch of Lester Young in the sensitive way he explored melodies. If there was ever a man whose music could correctly be called handsome, Dexter Gordon’s horn work was just that, i.e. handsome.
Numerous African cultures have a tradition of male elegance. Among the Mardi Gras Indians in New Orleans that elegance is called “pretty,” which means far, far more than Webster ever imagined. Indeed, on the streets on Fat Tuesday, all the talk is about “who’s the prettiest?” It changes from year among the Indians now that the perennial winner Big Chief Tootie is gone, but among tenor saxophonists, I believe even though Dexter made his transition years ago, he is still securely wearing the crown. I think Dexter Gordon is one of the prettiest tenor saxophone ballad players to ever record.
—kalamu ya salaam