Additional information
Personnel: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone); Leo Parker (baritone saxophone); Leonard Hawkins (trumpet); Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron, Sadik Hakim (piano); Gene Ramey, Curly Russell (bass); Art Blakey, Max Roach, Ed Nicholson (drums). Recorded between October 30, 1945 and December 11, 1947. Includes liner notes by H. Alan Stein. From the cover photo of Gordon (in a cowboy hat, saxophone slung over his shoulder, riding away on a horse) to the personnel (which includes Bud Powell, Max Roach and Art Blakey), DEXTER RIDES AGAIN is a classic album. There are fine performances all around, and the album has the edgy, melody-conscious, tightly-knit ensemble feel of the best early bebop records. Gordon's own compositions, neglected as his career wore on, come to the fore here. They are relatively short, and largely theme-driven in the style of the time. Gordon was still in his formative years here, and his playing is somewhat less showy than on later recordings--he seems less inclined to extended phrases and rapid-fire flurries, making more use of space and repeated single notes. The approach is appealing, and his famously rich, delicate tone is, even here, oozing all over the place. While neither seminal nor groundbreaking, DEXTER RIDES AGAIN is a fine album of spirited, swinging playing.
