DEXTER GORDON — Manhattan Symphonie (review)

DEXTER GORDON — Manhattan Symphonie album cover Album · 1978 · Hard Bop Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
darkprinceofjazz
When someone asks me who my favorite Saxophonist is, I almost feel ashamed that I don't tell them Coltrane or Parker, for Dexter Gordon is my true love, to my ears no tenor saxophonist can milk a ballad like Dex, when I hear him play, it's as if smoke fills the room and visions of beautiful woman from a by gone era are at my grasp, Dexter Gordon may not be the Most technically gifted saxophonist, he certainly wasn't the greatest composer of all time, but he had a tone to die for, the quintessential tone in my mind.

Manhattan Symphony, a quartet session, with George Cables on piano, Eddie Gladden on drums and Rufus Reid on bass, leads off with one of these gorgeous ballads, "As Time Goes By" nothing fancy, just pure Dexter. An irony about this music from 1978, Dex clearly had developed a Coltrane influence, and he shows it off on "Moments Notice" with some nice Piano work from the underrated George Cables, The highest point of many high points is "Tanya" the Donald Byrd composition that Dexter first performed on his Blue Note session, "One Flight Up", This time a briefer 7 minutes, and not the 17 minute epic of before, just a gorgeous reading, Dexter digs in to it, with that aforementioned tone, just love it, perfect.

"Body and Soul" "I Told you So" and "LTD" close out the 6 track long player, Dexter does indeed milk "Body and Soul" for everything it's worth, with an unaccompanied ending that feels as lonely as it lonely gets, on "LTD" he throws in his usual charming quotes, "Mona Lisa" this time around, As strung out as Dexter was the majority of his career, it's amazing how much great music he left this world, and Manhattan Symphony is one of his best.
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