Biography of Dexter Gordon

The leading tenor stylist of bebop, Gordon's personal amalgam of Lester Young, Charlie Parker, and himself set the tenor pace until the maturity of Sonny Rollins, who was influenced by Dexter. Even more so was John Coltrane, whose earliest recorded solos are pure Gordon. Dexter -- six feet, three inches, filled with charm -- had periodic bouts with drugs that interrupted his career (which took off after early work with the bands of Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, and Billy Eckstine). In 1962 he settled in Denmark. There he found steady work and a stable lifestyle, and when he returned to the US in 1976, he was at the top of his playing form and enjoyed the greatest success of his career. In 1986, he starred in the French film Round Midnight, for which he got an Oscar nomination. At his best, Gordon could play chorus upon chorus without repeating himself, notably on the blues or rhythm changes; he was also a master of the ballad. ~ Dan Morgenstern