Dexter Gordan Go!

Dexter puts himself in front of a quartet in this 1962 recording. He show the world why you need to talk about Dexter Gordan when mentioning the best tenor saxophone players on the scene.
The four waste no time and give you some cheese cake. I do not know where the title comes from but the tune is nothing but sweet and good. From the get go you have know doubts who is the leader.
Dexter loves ballads and I guess I will hang my tears out to dry is no exception. He truly uses his instrument to sing to us at times. This gives us a almost duo personality as the sax singer and the sax instrument Dexter Gordan.
At seven minutes long Second Balcony Jump takes a minute or two to get into. Dexter bops around and makes the tune enjoyable.
Love for Sale has a latin feel and grabs you from the first notes. He finds the in between of the singy and pure playing styles. Sonny Clark does a good job on piano but I get a reserved feeling in solos.
Where are you is another ballad that is slow and not that interesting.
Dexter finishes with three in the morning a fun little tune. I feel alot of the tracks on this album Dexter could use a little more help from his band but they attempt more to keep out of the way.

I rate this album 3.5 stars

Dexter Gordan Clubhouse

This recording from 1965 was recorded in the time period Dexter was living in Europe. I had to check the date twice because the recording has such a feel of Blue Note recordings of about five or six years earlier. This is bop at the finest
The session starts out with the straight forward Hanky Panky. Freddie Hubbard accompanies Gordan on the album playing trumpet. I feel that the two horns are very well suited for each other and the styles mesh like a romantic dance. I'm a Fool to Want you is a bit slow and long. The title cut Clubhouse hits stride, and the bouncing beat of the rythmn section of Bob Cranshaw and Billy Higgins is felt.
Lady Iris B is a slow tune but Dexter's tone sings like a beautiful woman's voice, and makes you want to turn the lights low and open the red wine.
The album finishes with Jodi, a jumping little tune. Dexter once again inpresses me with his delightful playing. Hubbard seems comfortable in his solo's following Dexter, and keeps up with the pace and tone of the piece perfectly. Barry Harris on piano never blows me a way but does a good job in the middle blending the rhytmn and horn sections.
I give this album 3.5 stars