Go! - Dexter Gordon (1LP Vinyl)

Go! by Dexter Gordon.

Few tenor saxophonists ever swung with the sheer authority that Dexter Gordon brought to "Go!" This is a session that captures the big-toned tenor titan at a moment of complete command, unhurried and utterly certain of every phrase. From the opening bars, there is a warmth and a swagger here that reward repeat listening, the kind of record that reveals a little more of itself with each spin.

The set opens with "Cheese Cake," a buoyant, mid-tempo blues line that lets Gordon stretch out with that unmistakable relaxed drive. It is a perfect table setter, easy and confident, the sound of a leader who knows exactly where he wants to take you. Follow it with "I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," and the mood turns tender and searching, Gordon leaning into the melody with the patience of a great balladeer.

"Second Balcony Jump" closes the first side on an insistent, uptempo note, a showcase for the momentum and forward lean that made Gordon such a compelling improviser. There is a joy in the way he builds his lines, statement following statement, each one arriving with a sense of inevitability.

The flip opens with a definitive reading of Cole Porter's "Love For Sale," one of those standards that so many have attempted and that Gordon makes entirely his own. He treats the tune with equal parts muscle and finesse, tracing its shadows without ever losing that essential sense of forward motion. It is a highlight of the record and, by any measure, a highlight of his catalog.

"Where Are You" brings the tempo back down for another gorgeous ballad turn, Gordon breathing through the melody with a vocal quality that has kept generations of listeners returning to his work. The session then bows out with "Three O'Clock In The Morning," a graceful, late-night sign off that leaves you wanting to lift the needle and start the whole thing over again.

Taken as a whole, "Go!" stands among the finest examples of Dexter Gordon's art, a beautifully paced program that moves effortlessly between swinging blues, muscular standards, and aching ballads. For collectors and newcomers alike, it is essential listening and a cornerstone of any serious jazz shelf, a record that earns its place on the turntable again and again.

Pressing Details:
Track Listing:
A1. Cheese Cake
A2. I Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
A3. Second Balcony Jump
B1. Love For Sale
B2. Where Are You
B3. Three O'Clock In The Morning

Artist: Dexter Gordon

Format: 1LP

Genre: Jazz

Label: Blue Note

Catalog Number: 84112

Release Year: 2024

Country: United States

Condition: Sealed (New)