Dexter Gordon (February 27, 1923 – April 25, 1990) was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. He is considered one of the greatest jazz musicians of all time, and his career spanned four decades. Gordon was born in Los Angeles, California and began playing the saxophone at the age of thirteen. He quickly developed a unique style that was heavily influenced by Lester Young and Coleman Hawkins. Gordon gained widespread recognition for his work with the Lionel Hampton Orchestra in the 1940s, and throughout the 1950s and 1960s he recorded with many of the most influential jazz musicians of the time, including Miles Davis, Clifford Brown, Max Roach, and Buddy Rich.
In the late 1960s, Gordon moved to Europe, where he spent the next decade of his career. He released several albums during this period, including “Our Man in Paris” (1963) and “Go!” (1962). During this time, Gordon also collaborated with a number of European musicians, including the French pianist Jacky Bourgeois. In 1976, Gordon returned to the United States and embarked on a successful solo career. He released a string of critically acclaimed albums, including “A Swingin’ Affair” (1978) and “A Night at the Village Vanguard” (1981).
In the early 1980s, Gordon was featured in the film “Round Midnight,” which earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. This film marked the start of a new phase of his career, as he went on to appear in several other films, including “’Til There Was You” (1987) and “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988). Gordon was inducted into the Down Beat Jazz Hall of Fame in 1988, and he was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1989.
Gordon passed away in 1990 due to kidney failure. He left behind an impressive legacy that continues to influence jazz musicians around the world. His influence is evident in the work of many modern jazz saxophonists, including Kamasi Washington and John Coltrane. As one of the most influential jazz saxophonists of all time, Dexter Gordon’s legacy will never be forgotten.
