Search - Dexter Gordon :: Swingin Affair

Dexter Swings It

Jack Baker | LeRoy,IL | 03/24/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Just two days after recording Go!, Dexter Gordon reentered the studio with the same group of musicians (Sonny Clark: piano, Butch Warren: bass, Billy Higgins: drums) and set down the music that would become A Swingin' Affair. Go! Seems to have received most of the critical attention, and while I'll not deny that that album is a classic (see my review), I find A Swingin' Affair to be the more enjoyable album. Both albums are well played, but I think the song selection on A Swingin' Affair is just a tad stronger. The album begins with "Soy Califa", an infectious Latin tinged bop, which in my opinion is superior to any of the tracks on Go!. Another standout track is the ballad "Don't Explain". Dexter's tone on this track is exquisite, as he manages to take all the power and body of his horn and channel it at a much lower volume, perfectly suiting the mood of the song. "You Stepped Out of A Dream" is another exemplary ballad. "The Backbone", composed by bassist Warren is a snappy number that'll make you tap your feet. "Until the Real Thing Comes Along" is another nice mid-tempo groover, and the album closes with "McSplivens", a Gordon original named for his dog. The musicians are excellent throughout and it's obvious why Blue Note wanted them back in the studio so soon after completing Go!. I simply can't say enough about Dexter Gordon. His tone is as deep as the Cayman Trench, his sense of melody superb. My favorite album of his remains One Flight Up, but A Swingin' Affair would be a solid choice for any jazz fan."

Answering Some Questions

nadav haber | jerusalem Israel | 04/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When listening to this CD, two questions were on my mind. First, what was it about Dexter Gordon that made him a favorite tenor among so many great tenor players who were associated with free jazz ? Second, what has Dexter Gordon added to the bebop tradition which is clearly his main source of musical ideas ?

Listening to Dexter's solo on Soy Califa I thought I had an answer to the first question. While playing completely within the bebop tradition in terms of harmony and structure, Dexter's sound seems to exploding out of his saxophone. While in terms of melody and harmony he could be compared to someone like Hank Mobley (whom I love), Gordon's sound has this certain edge that must have been appreciated by people such as John Coltrane and Dewey Redman, who, among others, said they were influenced by him.

The answer to the second question came somewhat later, when I heard the last ballad (Until the real thing...). While harmonically I don't see any development from Parker's ideas, rhythmically there is a difference approace, the notes are more evenly distributed, and the improvisation is somewhat more linear (although still based on chords). These two properties were certainly taken much further by Coltrane, but Gordon may have taken them the furthest while still playing within the bebop idiom.

One thing is certain - Dexter Gordon was one of the best studio performers ever - his studio recordings, at least for me, are even better than his live ones. Albums such as this one, Dexter Calling, and Go, that feature Gordon in a quartet setting, are so exciting and fresh (I heard them on LP 20 years ago - they sound just as fresh today), that I can't see how a serious jazz fan can afford to miss any of them."

Dexter Gordon the preimenent tenor sax of the Hard bob era

A. Romero | Bonita, CA | 02/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""A Swingin'Affair" demonstrates clearly why Dexter Gordon is the tenor saxophonist by which all others are judged. His sound is like a horn section delivering exquisite tone that only a section would be capable of. The big sound, equally robust in all registers is present on this recording when Dexter was in his prime. No tenor saxophone of the hard bob era was more distinct and recognizable than Dex. He captured the essence of jazz during that beautiful era of Blue Note recordings that Rudy Van Gilder was so famous for. His sidemen made up of the swinginist players around, Butch Warren, Billy Higgins and Sonny Clark understood that they were backing the giant of tenor sax."