Listening Guide to

Dexter Gordon
Music 1010
Stephen Howland

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 The Life of Dexter Gordon
• Born February 27, 1923

• Died April 25, 1990

• Father was a doctor

• Maternal grandfather was an

African American Medal of
Honor recipient

Dexter Keith Gordon was an American jazz tenor saxophonist. Dexter was
born on February 27, 1923 in Los Angeles, California to Dr. Frank Gordon and
Gwendolyn Baker. Dexter’s father was one of the first African American
doctors in Los Angeles. In 1918 he moved to California after graduating from
medical school. Dexter’s mother was the daughter of Captain Edward Baker.
He was one of the five African American Medal of Honor recipients in the
Spanish American War. Gordon began his childhood playing the clarinet, but
later switched to the saxophone. Gordon was known for his amazing work on
the saxophone but also for his height. Gordon's was 6 feet 6 inches and
therefor earned the names of "Long Tall Dexter" and "Sophisticated Giant".

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 Band Timeline
• 1940-1943: Member of Lionel Hampton’s band

• 1944: Member of Fletcher Henderson’s band,

Louis Armstrong band, and Billy Eckstine’s band

• 1945: Began recording under his own name

• 1946-1947: Lead sessions for Ross Russell

• 1947-1952: Saxophone duels with Wardell Gray

Gordon spent much of his early years working with many different bands and
artists. From 1940 to 1943, Gordon was a member of Lionel Hampton’s band.
Lionel was a patient of Dexter’s father and this is where they became
acquainted. During 1944 Dexter was then featured in the Fletcher Henderson
band followed by the well-known Louis Armstrong band. Dexter was then
affected by the 1942-1944 musicians strike. During this time he still recorded
music for overseas military. Finally in late 1945 Dexter was recording under his
own name. He returned to Los Angeles in late 1946 and in 1947 was leading
sessions for Ross Russell. After his return to Los Angeles, he became known
for his saxophone duels with fellow tenor Wardell Gray.

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 Finding Trouble

• Heroin addiction slowed his public appearances

• Incarceration at Chico Prison from 1953-55

• Late 1950’s he was in and out of prison

• Finally released from Folsom Prison in 1959

During the 1950s, Gordon's recorded output and live appearances declined as
heroin addiction and legal troubles took their toll. Dexter then spent some time
in Chino Prison from 1953-55. The later part of the 1950s saw Dexter in and
out of prison until his final release from Folsom Prison in 1959.

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 European Life
• 1962-1976 Dexter lived in Europe
• Less racism and a greater respect
for jazz musicians
• Live sets recorded in Europe
• Albums recorded in North America
• Works feature American, European,
and Spanish sidemen.

Dexter spent the next 14 years in Europe. During this time, he lived mainly in
Paris and Copenhagen. Gordon spent some time visiting the United States
occasionally to continue recording albums. Gordon found that Europe in the
1960s was a much easier place to live. He felt that he experienced less racism
and greater respect for jazz musicians. He did not like the political and social
strife that was prevalent in the United States at the time. Many of his most
popular albums were recorded when he returned to the United States. He
would spend time in the studio recording albums before returning to Europe.
Dexter built strong relationships in both continents. Due to his large network,
many of Dexter’s songs are performed with both American and European
musicians.

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 Homecoming
• 1976 returned home to North America

• Album “Homecoming” was first gig when

he returned

• At the Village Vanguard patrons

were amazed

• Gordon credited with reviving interests in

swing and jazz

Gordon finally returned to the United States for good in 1976. One of his first
appearance upon returning home was at the Village Vanguard in New York.
This performance was dubbed his "homecoming." This live concert was was
recorded and released by Columbia Records under that exact title. After the
concert Dexter was quoted as saying, “"There was so much love and elation;
sometimes it was a little eerie at the Vanguard. After the last set they'd turn on
the lights and nobody would move." Many people were excited about the
return of Dexter Gordon. His return has been credited with reviving interest in
swinging jazz music.

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 Accolades
• 1978: Down Beat Musician of the Year
• 1980: Down Beat Musician of the Year
• 1980: Inducted into Jazz Hall of Fame
• 1980: Congressional Commendation
• 1986: Named a member and officer of
the French Order of Arts and Letters
• 1986: Nominated for an Academy Award
for Best Actor

Towards the end of Dexter’s life, he was awarded with many accolades. In
1978 and 1980, Gordon was the Down Beat Musician of the Year. In 1980 he
was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame. Later the US Government honored
him with a Congressional Commendation and a National Endowment for the
Arts award. In 1986 he was named a member and officer of the French Order
of Arts and Letters by the Ministry of Culture in France. Dexter also spent time
working in the film industry. He starred in the 1986 movie Round Midnight and
his performance earned him a nomination for an Academy Award for Best
Actor.

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 Cheese Cake

• Composed by: Dexter Gordon

• Performed by: Dexter Gordon

• Instruments: Saxophone, Piano,

and Percussion

• Released: 1962

Cheese Cake is a fast tempo jazz song.

The song name is also the title of the
album released in the early 1960s.
The song is a pleasant mix of percussions,
saxophone, and piano. This song is considered
to be a quintessential piece from Dexter Gordon.
Dexter’s music had a strong swing beat and
rhythm to them and this is evident in this
masterpiece.

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 Cheese Cake
Click below to hear Dexter Gordon’s Original Hit “Cheese Cake”

:06 The song begins with strong form and an overwhelming presence of
percussion instruments.
:10 The saxophone begins to play. The melody and tone are low, deep, and
somewhat slow.
:30 The tempo of the piece becomes quicker and seems to dominate the flow
of the song.
:33 The piano is now more pronounced and adds to the texture of the piece.
:44 The rhythm of the song is interrupted by short and tense pulses of notes
from the piano and saxophone.
:57 Short and repetitive strokes and chords add to the dynamics of the song.
1:20 The saxophone and piano continues but slightly fades as the percussion
instruments get stronger and change the melody of the song.
1:49 The melody begins to return to the original tempo of the song.
2:12 The piano becomes softer as the saxophone timbre increases and
becomes more dominant.
2:30 Once again the texture changes as we hear a repetitive string of chords
from the saxophone.
2:51 The dynamics change as the melody of the piano and percussion
instruments diminish and the saxophone is almost playing a solo with a small

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background of piano.
3:16 The form changes and throws the listener a bit of a curve ball as we are
no longer listening to typical Dexter Gordon music. The saxophone disappears
and we now hear a solo on the piano with quick chords that add to the texture.
3:40 The percussion intensifies as the instruments are introduced back in to
the piece.
4:10 Adding to the texture of the song, short and quick notes are played on the
piano.
4:14 Finally, after a short hiatus, the saxophone returns to the piece. The
instruments harmonize and play a strong set for over a minute and sets the
tone for the remainder of the song.
5:15 The tempo intensifies as we near the end of the song and prepare for the
finale.
5:58 The rhythm of the song changes as the piano hits some brief high notes.
6:12 The tempo of the song begins to slow and fade away as the piece comes
to a sudden end and leaves the listener yearning for more.

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 Fried Bananas
• Composed by: Dexter Gordon

• Performed by: Dexter Gordon

with Rein de Graaff, Henk
Haverhoek and Eric Ineke

• Instruments: Saxophone, Piano

and percussion

• Released: 1972

Fried Bananas is a fast tempo song.

Many use the song in swing dancing
due to its quick beat, strong saxophone
presence, with a beautiful mix of piano
and percussion instruments.
Explain the elements and history of the song.
Share personal experience of hearing University of Utah perform this song
live.

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 Fried Bananas
Click below to hear Dexter Gordon’s Original Hit “Fried Bananas”

:00 Song immediately beings and has no intro. Immediately the rhythm and
melody remind you of elevator music.
:00 Begins with only piano and saxophone. The percussion instruments are
added later to change the texture of the piece.
:45 Pitch increases as does the melody. The fast tempo engages the listener.
The piece does a great job harmonizing the instruments with the energy of
those listening.
1:16 The texture changes again as the pitch and tone increase and become
higher than expected.
1:26 The timbre of the piano becomes loud and dominates the piece. The
rhythm intensifies and becomes intriguingly vibrant.
1:53 The beat and tone increases quickly and then decreases at a fast pace.
The song repeats this movement several times.
2:09 The form changes as we hear several repetitions of the same note.
2:54 The dynamics are altered as we now hear a piano solo with loud clanks
from percussion instruments in the background.
3:42 The piano solo continues and the tempo increases and we continue to
hear high pitched notes.
3:55 The loud clanks from the percussion instruments begin to be sporadic

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until they slowly disappear and we return to the original form of the song.
4:18 Finally the saxophone returns and we are welcomed back to the
harmonious sound of all three instruments working together to regain the form
and melody we began the song with.
4:25 Just as we get used to the harmony of all the instruments, we are
introduced to a short percussion solo.
4:50 After that brief solo we return to the harmony of all instruments. Each
instrument has a strong presence and helps blend the texture and melody
together.
5:24 The timbre of the saxophone intensifies as we hear short but strong
bursts of notes on the saxophone.
5:50 The melody begins to slow as we prepare for the finale.
5:56 All instruments work together to progress into a strong harmonious finale.

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 Bibliography and References
• https://www.dextergordon.org
• https://www.dextergordon.com
• https://www.biography.com/people/dexter-gordon-37899
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dexter_Gordon
• https://www.youtube.com

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