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Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon
"An occasion to appreciate Dexter’s resounding musical genius as well as his wish for major social transformation.”—Angela Y. Davis, political activist, scholar, author, and speakerSophisticated Giant presents the life and legacy of tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon (1923–1990), one of the major innovators of modern jazz. In a context of biography, history, and memoir, Maxine Gordon has completed the book that her late husband began, weaving his “solo” turns with her voice and a chorus of voices from past and present. Reading like a jazz composition, the blend of research, anecdote, and a selection of Dexter’s personal letters reflects his colorful life and legendary times. It is clear why the celebrated trumpet genius Dizzy Gillespie said to Dexter, “Man, you ought to leave your karma to science.” Dexter Gordon the icon is the Dexter beloved and celebrated on albums, on film, and in jazz lore--even in a street named for him in Copenhagen. But this image of the cool jazzman fails to come to terms with the multidimensional man full of humor and wisdom, a figure who struggled to reconcile being both a creative outsider who broke the rules and a comforting insider who was a son, father, husband, and world citizen. This essential book is an attempt to fill in the gaps created by our misperceptions as well as the gaps left by Dexter himself.
295 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 6, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
December 10, 2019
He was a towering figure at six feet five inches, the epitome of cool, the musician who translated the language of bebop to the tenor saxophone, the man who disappeared for a decade into drugs and jail terms and managed to emerge with a sound to be heard. He made a movie with French director Bertrand Tavernier and was nominated for an Oscar for best leading actor.
When Maxine Gordon began the research for her husband's book, she worked as the Archivist in the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University lectured on Jazz and African American History and worked as the Senior Interviewer and Jazz Researcher for the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. In 2010, she served as the archivist of the Dexter Gordon Collection in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
When Maxine Gordon began the research for her husband's book, she worked as the Archivist in the Center for Jazz Studies at Columbia University lectured on Jazz and African American History and worked as the Senior Interviewer and Jazz Researcher for the Bronx African American History Project at Fordham University. In 2010, she served as the archivist of the Dexter Gordon Collection in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
June 8, 2021
I give up. I'm about 60 pages in and this might just be the worst biography I've ever read. Two major complaints are that it's disjointed and much too conversational. It's like the author sat with her tape recorder at a restaurant with a friend or a person to interview or notes from Dexter, chatted out some ideas for the book, and typed what she's recorded the day before. Then did the same thing the next day and the next and the next.
So far, the timeline has gone from age 17, to just before his death, back to about age 30, up to age 40, back to his childhood, back to his grandfather's youth, then his greatgrandfather's time, then to Dexter's childhood again. There's no rhyme or reason to this - just whatever she wanted to talk about that day.
There's also a matter of fact versus guesses versus veiled fiction. For instance, there's a mention early on that Dexter once claimed to have a great grandmother or some such ancestor who originated from Madagascar. The author, Maxine Gordon, Dexter's one-time business manager and wife, flies to Madagascar to ask the local government for verification. But, she has no name and thus no real way to verify the identity of a woman who, sometime in the 1800s, left Madagascar for France and later left France for America and later married someone and produced a child who ended up as one of Dexter's ancestors. Maxine can not find any information about this unnamed woman in Madagascar or France or America for that matter, and she admits there's no way to prove this claim. Then she proceeds to say it's true anyway.
I think it was at that point I made the decision to give up on this book. Earlier, Maxine's cloying way of glossing over Dexter's flaws almost made me quit. No need to go into details, but this is like a parent's description of her perfect children who can do no wrong.
This biography is deeply flawed in several ways. Do yourself a favor and seek another biography about Dexter Gordon. That's what I'm going to do.
So far, the timeline has gone from age 17, to just before his death, back to about age 30, up to age 40, back to his childhood, back to his grandfather's youth, then his greatgrandfather's time, then to Dexter's childhood again. There's no rhyme or reason to this - just whatever she wanted to talk about that day.
There's also a matter of fact versus guesses versus veiled fiction. For instance, there's a mention early on that Dexter once claimed to have a great grandmother or some such ancestor who originated from Madagascar. The author, Maxine Gordon, Dexter's one-time business manager and wife, flies to Madagascar to ask the local government for verification. But, she has no name and thus no real way to verify the identity of a woman who, sometime in the 1800s, left Madagascar for France and later left France for America and later married someone and produced a child who ended up as one of Dexter's ancestors. Maxine can not find any information about this unnamed woman in Madagascar or France or America for that matter, and she admits there's no way to prove this claim. Then she proceeds to say it's true anyway.
I think it was at that point I made the decision to give up on this book. Earlier, Maxine's cloying way of glossing over Dexter's flaws almost made me quit. No need to go into details, but this is like a parent's description of her perfect children who can do no wrong.
This biography is deeply flawed in several ways. Do yourself a favor and seek another biography about Dexter Gordon. That's what I'm going to do.
August 31, 2022
This is for the Audible version. A wonderful bio written by his widow Maxine Gordon. From his Los Angeles roots and a father who was a well regarded physician to the early LA scene its all there. Maxine does an excellent job in filling in Dexter's life in the fifties (a decade he did not want to talk about) with some help by the late tenor sax man Hadley Caliman. A surprise from the read is how many did not think he could make a successful come back after his time in Europe. Well read, well performed by all involved . Listening to Gordon's album Doin Alright as I write this and hearing the book brings me a bit closer to these classic jazz performances and The Sophisticated Giant Long Tall Dex,
January 9, 2019
I rarely write a review but this book really affected me. I finished the last 30 pages listening to the recording "Homecoming: Live at the Village Vanguard" recorded in 1977 after Dexter Gordon returned from living in Europe for 14 years. Listening to this live recording of Gordon playing bebop seven years after the release of Miles Davis "Bitches Brew" recording is amazing. I remember buying Dexter's LP "Manhattan Symphonie" recorded two days after the legendary gig at the Vanguard that resulted in the live recording and literally wearing the LP out from repeated listening. Maxine Gordon has written an erudite and loving portrait of a legendary musician and amazing human being.
March 17, 2020
Poorly written, self-centered, embarrassing. A lot of repetitions in the text, lousy story telling, misleading and conflicting information —once we're told that Dexter left home at 17 to never come back, a few pages later we learn that he indeed came back with his wife and daughters to live with his mum in his family home. Besides, this lady knows nothing about music —she even says that Dexter practiced chords on the saxophone, CHORDS, for God's sake. Nothing is said about bebop harmonies or innovations.
January 13, 2019
This biography was pretty well written, though it took her 28 years to finish. Dexter Gordon had a colorful life full of beauty and friends and also sadness from his involvement with drugs. The book doesn't skip the sad parts but focuses mostly on the music that was his life. And most importantly the highlight, making the film Round Midnight and the Oscar nomination he got form that. That chapter alone is worth reading this book for. Now to go back and watch that film again and listen to some of his music. He was a giant of a man (6 foot 5) in many ways.
September 20, 2022
An outstanding biography and love story in jazz. A story of abuse and racial discrimination and eventual artistic and human triumph. A must for all jazz lovers.
September 10, 2019
Maxine Gordon was the last of Dexter Gordon's several wives and she has written a biography of Gordon, a task with which he charged her before he died in 1990. The saxophonist had actually done some writing on an autobiography before he died and Maxine Gordon was able to use this material in her book. But, while he had written about most of his life, he wrote nothing about the 1950s, a period that he would not talk or write about. Her extensive research illuminates that decade as well as most of the other phases of this well-known jazz musician's life.
Gordon's was both a charmed and a difficult life. He was born into an accomplished family and was a gifted musician-competent enough to join Lionel Hampton's band on the road when he was 17 years old. He was also drawn to drugs early and addiction remained a part of his life until the 1970s. At least, I think that marked the end of his use, but I'm not positive. That's because the book makes clear the chronology of his drug use, his incarcerations, being "clean," and family life in some phases of his life, but in other times, less so. The author seems to have set herself up in a bit of a cleft stick. On one hand, she says that her intent is not to soft-peddle the rougher details of his life. On the other hand, Maxine Gordon is very invested in showing us Dexter's optimistic nature and the fact that several times he arose, phoenix-like, from events that others would not have been able to transcend.
The author's approach toward Dexter's battle with drugs is presented in as low-key a way as possible; to drain it of any moral judgmentalism. Her analysis of the draconian drug laws of California in the '40s and '50s shows what a trap these were for any addict and particularly so for the black jazz community of Los Angeles.
Maxine Gordon's approach to the difficult relationships in Dexter's life is similarly low-key; almost off-handed. She has a child by trumpeter Woody Shaw, who often played with Dexter. She and Shaw parted company and she began a relationship with Gordon. I'm not looking for dirt, but I would like to hear more about the emotional aspect of these shifting relationships. She wraps up their decision to get married in two sentences: "Looking back, it seems so simple, but this was not an easy decision. It was fraught with drama, anger and jazz gossip." I think it's the author's responsibility to give the reader a fuller sense of the human dimension of the process.
The same might be said about her approach to Dexter's relationship with previous wives and children. No doubt it might have been tricky for Maxine Gordon to win the cooperation of the families with whom he spent so little time. But I do think that some attempt at outreach and recording the results of those attempts is a job that a biographer should undertake. It stands to reason that this would help create a more dimensional portrait of the protagonist of this story. It feels like this was sacrificed in the name of "uplift."
Apart from this, I have no other major issue with the book. The writing is clear and we are moved swiftly and chronologically through the phases of an eventful life.
There is no attempt at musical analysis, per se, but there is a very interesting analysis of the relationship between the jazz musician, the musician's union and the recording companies. One section shows clearly that the settlements of the two recording bans instituted by the musician's union during the 1940s did not redound to the financial benefit of jazz musicians. The tenacity of jazz musicians despite the continually tenuous financial prospects is given its rightful due here. This shared experience of continuing to advance the music in the face of adversity built a tremendous sense of community among the musicians and Maxine Gordon makes a point of showing how important it was for Dexter to be a member of this community. He was a beloved comrade, clearly always generous in acknowledging the help of other musicians and in providing gigs for others when he could.
The details concerning Dexter's life in Europe are a solid contribution to the literature concerning expatriate American artists. In his case, there seems to have been no single revelatory moment when Dexter said, "I'm sick of this country, I'm gonna get away." In fact, a chance encounter with Ronnie Scott in NYC led to an invitation to play in Scott's London jazz club. Then, one overseas gig-and one romance-simply led to another, until about fourteen years passed. In fact, Dexter came back a number of times to play in the U.S. during this period, but the return that people remember is that of 1976. The splash he made during that successful series of gigs was the result not only of his own hard practice regimen, but of a year's worth of planning by a number of people, including Maxine Gordon, Bruce Lundvall of Columbia records, record producer Michael Cuscuna and others. It was a triumphant return, but the groundwork had been skilfully laid.
The other major artistic event covered here is Dexter's appearance in the film "Round Midnight" and his eventual Academy Award nomination in his role as Dale Turner. He had grown up a movie fan in L.A., had acted, written music and played sax in the West Coast production of the play "The Connection" in 1960, and was very confident about his ability to act. Says the author: "He felt that most jazz musicians could act if need be. They had to act their way out of a lot of situations in their lives on the road, and they had to act in front of an audience most nights."
Dexter's participation in the film was initially conceived to be much more limited, but his prowess as an actor was so obvious that his role was eventually increased until he because the lead player. I was very impressed with his performance and, generally, with the film itself, which did not fall into most of the usual cliché traps. Reading this account, I can see that Gordon had a lot to do with that, as he had no hesitation in telling director Bertrand Tavernier when he thought the dialogue or setups were phoney. To Tavernier's credit, he listened. I was slightly disappointed in the music chosen for the film, as it was almost all ballads or slow blues; in keeping with the "romantic" look and feel of the film, but not in keeping with the way Dexter can burn on up-tempo tunes.
It was interesting to read the change in how Dexter Gordon was treated following his Oscar nomination. He had always been jazz royalty, if you will, but that had yielded only minor financial rewards-being able to buy a modest home. But now that he had been touched by the magic fairy dust of Hollywood, he was given the deluxe treatment of a movie star.
Maxine Gordon may not have given us a complete portrait of Dexter, as she does not explore some of the more difficult areas of his personal life, but she does paint a convincing picture of an extremely charming, intelligent, resilient and talented man. In the end, I think that the author's quote from Dizzy Gillespie seem apposite: "Dexter should leave his karma to science."
Gordon's was both a charmed and a difficult life. He was born into an accomplished family and was a gifted musician-competent enough to join Lionel Hampton's band on the road when he was 17 years old. He was also drawn to drugs early and addiction remained a part of his life until the 1970s. At least, I think that marked the end of his use, but I'm not positive. That's because the book makes clear the chronology of his drug use, his incarcerations, being "clean," and family life in some phases of his life, but in other times, less so. The author seems to have set herself up in a bit of a cleft stick. On one hand, she says that her intent is not to soft-peddle the rougher details of his life. On the other hand, Maxine Gordon is very invested in showing us Dexter's optimistic nature and the fact that several times he arose, phoenix-like, from events that others would not have been able to transcend.
The author's approach toward Dexter's battle with drugs is presented in as low-key a way as possible; to drain it of any moral judgmentalism. Her analysis of the draconian drug laws of California in the '40s and '50s shows what a trap these were for any addict and particularly so for the black jazz community of Los Angeles.
Maxine Gordon's approach to the difficult relationships in Dexter's life is similarly low-key; almost off-handed. She has a child by trumpeter Woody Shaw, who often played with Dexter. She and Shaw parted company and she began a relationship with Gordon. I'm not looking for dirt, but I would like to hear more about the emotional aspect of these shifting relationships. She wraps up their decision to get married in two sentences: "Looking back, it seems so simple, but this was not an easy decision. It was fraught with drama, anger and jazz gossip." I think it's the author's responsibility to give the reader a fuller sense of the human dimension of the process.
The same might be said about her approach to Dexter's relationship with previous wives and children. No doubt it might have been tricky for Maxine Gordon to win the cooperation of the families with whom he spent so little time. But I do think that some attempt at outreach and recording the results of those attempts is a job that a biographer should undertake. It stands to reason that this would help create a more dimensional portrait of the protagonist of this story. It feels like this was sacrificed in the name of "uplift."
Apart from this, I have no other major issue with the book. The writing is clear and we are moved swiftly and chronologically through the phases of an eventful life.
There is no attempt at musical analysis, per se, but there is a very interesting analysis of the relationship between the jazz musician, the musician's union and the recording companies. One section shows clearly that the settlements of the two recording bans instituted by the musician's union during the 1940s did not redound to the financial benefit of jazz musicians. The tenacity of jazz musicians despite the continually tenuous financial prospects is given its rightful due here. This shared experience of continuing to advance the music in the face of adversity built a tremendous sense of community among the musicians and Maxine Gordon makes a point of showing how important it was for Dexter to be a member of this community. He was a beloved comrade, clearly always generous in acknowledging the help of other musicians and in providing gigs for others when he could.
The details concerning Dexter's life in Europe are a solid contribution to the literature concerning expatriate American artists. In his case, there seems to have been no single revelatory moment when Dexter said, "I'm sick of this country, I'm gonna get away." In fact, a chance encounter with Ronnie Scott in NYC led to an invitation to play in Scott's London jazz club. Then, one overseas gig-and one romance-simply led to another, until about fourteen years passed. In fact, Dexter came back a number of times to play in the U.S. during this period, but the return that people remember is that of 1976. The splash he made during that successful series of gigs was the result not only of his own hard practice regimen, but of a year's worth of planning by a number of people, including Maxine Gordon, Bruce Lundvall of Columbia records, record producer Michael Cuscuna and others. It was a triumphant return, but the groundwork had been skilfully laid.
The other major artistic event covered here is Dexter's appearance in the film "Round Midnight" and his eventual Academy Award nomination in his role as Dale Turner. He had grown up a movie fan in L.A., had acted, written music and played sax in the West Coast production of the play "The Connection" in 1960, and was very confident about his ability to act. Says the author: "He felt that most jazz musicians could act if need be. They had to act their way out of a lot of situations in their lives on the road, and they had to act in front of an audience most nights."
Dexter's participation in the film was initially conceived to be much more limited, but his prowess as an actor was so obvious that his role was eventually increased until he because the lead player. I was very impressed with his performance and, generally, with the film itself, which did not fall into most of the usual cliché traps. Reading this account, I can see that Gordon had a lot to do with that, as he had no hesitation in telling director Bertrand Tavernier when he thought the dialogue or setups were phoney. To Tavernier's credit, he listened. I was slightly disappointed in the music chosen for the film, as it was almost all ballads or slow blues; in keeping with the "romantic" look and feel of the film, but not in keeping with the way Dexter can burn on up-tempo tunes.
It was interesting to read the change in how Dexter Gordon was treated following his Oscar nomination. He had always been jazz royalty, if you will, but that had yielded only minor financial rewards-being able to buy a modest home. But now that he had been touched by the magic fairy dust of Hollywood, he was given the deluxe treatment of a movie star.
Maxine Gordon may not have given us a complete portrait of Dexter, as she does not explore some of the more difficult areas of his personal life, but she does paint a convincing picture of an extremely charming, intelligent, resilient and talented man. In the end, I think that the author's quote from Dizzy Gillespie seem apposite: "Dexter should leave his karma to science."
September 11, 2023
Well researched & beautifully written!
September 9, 2019
Maxine Gordon values people who keep their word. This book fulfills a vow she made to her husband Dexter Gordon that she would finish his autobiography for him if he died before he could complete it. So this book, in a way, is 2 parts autobiography and 1 part biography. Maxine uses Dexter’s own words from his autobiography to tell some of his story. She also tells some of the story of her own life with Dexter. And she tells the story of Dexter’s background and his rise to stardom. But Ms. Gordon does more than that. She brings to life the jazz scenes in Europe and America back in the 50s and 60s. She also gives a close look at the recording industry and its often unscrupulous tactics in dealing with artists (though there are a few wonderful exceptions.) In chapter after chapter, Maxine Gordon provides us with stories, photos, and sometimes even letters to tell the story of Dexter’s life and career in jazz. Along the way, we meet many wonderful artists. Each chapter opens with an epigraph. (My favorite one is by Jimmy Heath that opens the chapter “Business Lessons.” ) The standard jazz story seems to have many ups and downs. (Gordon doesn’t probe too deeply into the down periods.) Dexter Gordon’s life is no exception. But he rose above his misfortunes and embraced the jazz life. Maxine Gordon’s biography is well written and well researched. She even manages to settle a few old scores.
December 2, 2018
As a reader I really appreciated the research went into this, and I really enjoyed reading the book. I would definitely recommend it.
Spoiler, please read the rest of my comments after you read the book.
What I thought could have been different about this book;
The years after 1975 could have used more personal touch and be more elaborated. I don’t know if it was a conscious choice, but it felt like the relationship between Maxine Gordon and Dexter Gordon could have been written more. The business aspect of the relationship was mostly there, and their friendship was mentioned. However, as a reader, knowing that the author is also Dexter Gordon’s wife, created the expectation and curiosity to know how the friendship and business relationship transitioned into a family. This transition is only about half a paragraph in the book and it’s not quite a transition. Maybe the intention here was to avoid the relationship being the main story here, but I think without it there is a big missing piece, especially when throughout the book his musical career, life and relationships are so intertwined.
Spoiler, please read the rest of my comments after you read the book.
What I thought could have been different about this book;
The years after 1975 could have used more personal touch and be more elaborated. I don’t know if it was a conscious choice, but it felt like the relationship between Maxine Gordon and Dexter Gordon could have been written more. The business aspect of the relationship was mostly there, and their friendship was mentioned. However, as a reader, knowing that the author is also Dexter Gordon’s wife, created the expectation and curiosity to know how the friendship and business relationship transitioned into a family. This transition is only about half a paragraph in the book and it’s not quite a transition. Maybe the intention here was to avoid the relationship being the main story here, but I think without it there is a big missing piece, especially when throughout the book his musical career, life and relationships are so intertwined.
June 27, 2021
I appreciate the desire to document the life of someone you love and the occasional vignette was of interest. But mostly, this felt like a book about Maxine. As a result, less interesting to me.
October 26, 2019
Maxine Gordon fulfills her last promise to Dexter Gordon by turning the notes and sketches that Dex left behind into a full biography. Going in, I was anxious to see how Maxine had chosen to do this. She could easily have created a patchwork where her and Dex' narrative voices blended seamlessly and it would be difficult to disentangle who wrote what. That might have made it difficult to judge who was telling the story, and who was making the judgment calls. I think Maxine made the right decision by essentially writing a biography entirely on her own, but including Dex' notes and anecdotes into the text verbatim, in such a way that it is never unclear when something was recounted by the man himself.
The book gives a great insight into many aspects of being both black and a musician in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and how belonging to one category affected belonging to the other. Maxine has made a scholarly career out of investigating what she calls the "political economy of jazz", i.e. how social politics, racial politics and the economics of private enterprise as applied to the recording industry led to some very unique circumstances for working musicians during the jazz era. Dexter's life and career were clearly shaped by these circumstances, and had it not been for his outlook on life, his sociability and some good ol' plain luck, his life story might have ended much more grimly than it did. As Dizzy Gilespie said about him, "Dexter Gordon ought to leave his karma to science".
Maxine does a great job talking about Dexter's family and upbringing, and she makes a very deft analysis about the social politics, geopolitics and the inner workings of the recording industry that affected him. At times, however, the enormous number of people and places which Dex interacted with throughout his career is recounted in tedious detail, and it can detract from the story itself. This might offer a lot of value to those who are intimately familiar with the hundreds and thousands of musicians who played jazz at the highest levels since the 30s, but if you are not, the story can sometimes devolve into a barrage of anonymous faces and names.
There are also certain aspects of Dex' life which could have been expounded upon. His 14 year stint in Europe is explained from the point of view of what it did to Dexter, the liberation he felt living in Denmark and the other expats he interacted with. However, the story is lacking some insights into the legacy Dex left behind in Europe: How did Dex help shape Scandinavian and European jazz beyond playing at venue X, Y and Z at dates A, B and C? What did musicians there remember from his years in Europe? How was Denmark more than just an incidental and replaceable stage for Dex' own personal development?
Another issue which could have received some more attention is the many tumultuous changes in his family life. Dex was married before he went to Europe, but became estranged from his wife and daughters. Shortly after moving to Denmark he became involved with a young Danish women,in a story that has a very tragic outcome. Shortly after he marries another Danish women and fathers several children with her, but that relationship comes to an end not long after he moves back to the US. This book does not connect these dots, and it does not talk about how this affected Dexter or his family. The events are stated matter-of-fact, mentioned in passing and seemingly glossed over. This leaves the impression that there are big parts of Dex' life that we are not privy to, and we can only speculate about how they shaped him and his music.
Those shortcomings notwithstanding, the book tells a very illustrative story about the history of jazz and of the events that led to Dexter's spot in the annals of jazz music. It is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in the history of jazz and Dexter's life in particular.
The book gives a great insight into many aspects of being both black and a musician in the 40s, 50s and 60s, and how belonging to one category affected belonging to the other. Maxine has made a scholarly career out of investigating what she calls the "political economy of jazz", i.e. how social politics, racial politics and the economics of private enterprise as applied to the recording industry led to some very unique circumstances for working musicians during the jazz era. Dexter's life and career were clearly shaped by these circumstances, and had it not been for his outlook on life, his sociability and some good ol' plain luck, his life story might have ended much more grimly than it did. As Dizzy Gilespie said about him, "Dexter Gordon ought to leave his karma to science".
Maxine does a great job talking about Dexter's family and upbringing, and she makes a very deft analysis about the social politics, geopolitics and the inner workings of the recording industry that affected him. At times, however, the enormous number of people and places which Dex interacted with throughout his career is recounted in tedious detail, and it can detract from the story itself. This might offer a lot of value to those who are intimately familiar with the hundreds and thousands of musicians who played jazz at the highest levels since the 30s, but if you are not, the story can sometimes devolve into a barrage of anonymous faces and names.
There are also certain aspects of Dex' life which could have been expounded upon. His 14 year stint in Europe is explained from the point of view of what it did to Dexter, the liberation he felt living in Denmark and the other expats he interacted with. However, the story is lacking some insights into the legacy Dex left behind in Europe: How did Dex help shape Scandinavian and European jazz beyond playing at venue X, Y and Z at dates A, B and C? What did musicians there remember from his years in Europe? How was Denmark more than just an incidental and replaceable stage for Dex' own personal development?
Another issue which could have received some more attention is the many tumultuous changes in his family life. Dex was married before he went to Europe, but became estranged from his wife and daughters. Shortly after moving to Denmark he became involved with a young Danish women,in a story that has a very tragic outcome. Shortly after he marries another Danish women and fathers several children with her, but that relationship comes to an end not long after he moves back to the US. This book does not connect these dots, and it does not talk about how this affected Dexter or his family. The events are stated matter-of-fact, mentioned in passing and seemingly glossed over. This leaves the impression that there are big parts of Dex' life that we are not privy to, and we can only speculate about how they shaped him and his music.
Those shortcomings notwithstanding, the book tells a very illustrative story about the history of jazz and of the events that led to Dexter's spot in the annals of jazz music. It is a worthwhile read for those who are interested in the history of jazz and Dexter's life in particular.
November 20, 2018
The author, Maxine Gordon, was the last wife of Dexter Gordon. She obviously had access to Dexter Gordon himself, who provided her with notes of certain aspects of his life. She does an admirable job filling in those portions that Dexter Gordon refused to talk about with Maxine, or practically anyone. Dexter Gordon had a heroin addiction for many years, including through the 1950s when he was in and out of California prisons (California had very restrictive and discriminatory drug laws). Gordon fled to Copenhagen for the 1960s and half of the 1970s and made a triumphant return to the United States and New York City in 1976. Gordon's career took off again and he landed a film role in "Round Midnight", where he was nominated for Best Actor. Maxine Gordon's writing style is very personalized, and she lets the reader know in no uncertain terms who she is, and how everyone around Dexter Gordon knew of her. She provides the basics of Dexter Gordon's life, but you would think, given her access as his wife, she could have drawn him out more, even about the creative process of jazz. Stan Britt's biography is worth pairing with this one for Dexter Gordon fans.
June 23, 2019
As a devout follower of Dex, I have been waiting for this book eagerly!
It definitely fills in some interesting gaps in his life, and also highlights some information that I hadn’t heard before. It seems strange to think back on how long ago now we lost LTD. But it does describe his last decade or two in shining detail, and illuminates that the exuberance for life in his music, and in his stage demeanor, was also reflective of his home life in the city of Eternal Spring just south of Mexico City.
This book managed to encourage me to finally track down the “Unchained!” movie that he had a minor role in. It also made a few more things clear about his involvement in the LA production of The Connection.
I have treated my Stan Britt bio of Dex as one of my most cherished books, but it now has an equal companion on the shelf with Maxine Gordon’s spectacular recollection of all things Dexter!
Long Live Long Tall Dexter!
(My only wish would be that this book included an actual time machine, or was 2000 pages, but all-in-all the answers it gave, and the questions it raised, were perfect!)
It definitely fills in some interesting gaps in his life, and also highlights some information that I hadn’t heard before. It seems strange to think back on how long ago now we lost LTD. But it does describe his last decade or two in shining detail, and illuminates that the exuberance for life in his music, and in his stage demeanor, was also reflective of his home life in the city of Eternal Spring just south of Mexico City.
This book managed to encourage me to finally track down the “Unchained!” movie that he had a minor role in. It also made a few more things clear about his involvement in the LA production of The Connection.
I have treated my Stan Britt bio of Dex as one of my most cherished books, but it now has an equal companion on the shelf with Maxine Gordon’s spectacular recollection of all things Dexter!
Long Live Long Tall Dexter!
(My only wish would be that this book included an actual time machine, or was 2000 pages, but all-in-all the answers it gave, and the questions it raised, were perfect!)
February 3, 2019
To say that I devoured this book with all of the aplomb of a teenager, hopping through Birdland and those NYC jazz spots in the 50s as musicians created a musical genre by themselves would understate things. Congratulations to Mrs Gordon for composing a book that tells a story of one of the giants of published and recorded music after striving for her own impact as a researcher and academic. A third of this book are heavily sourced footnotes, which open a whole world by themselves. The words of his contemporaries, of the unearthed documentation found in court documents and thought-lost correspondence, only add to the picture not only of Gordon as a musician and person, but also in important context as to the music industry, the creative environments he found himself in, and to the politics of the times.
We get a picture of Dexter Gordon as a person, as a musician, as a personality in this well-written and essential work.. And much like my first time hearing his seminal GO album, which was my introduction to his genius, I'm better off for it.
We get a picture of Dexter Gordon as a person, as a musician, as a personality in this well-written and essential work.. And much like my first time hearing his seminal GO album, which was my introduction to his genius, I'm better off for it.
April 6, 2019
Very interesting book. I love jazz but I never really knew of Dexter Gordon. (I was very fortunate for an experience I had in San Francisco back in the early 1960s. I had gone on a date and he took me to a little jazz bar where Oscar Peterson was playing, along with Thelonious Monk and we were sitting at a table that was right next to the piano. I think that experience really turned me on to jazz. If I had been brave enough, I could have touched Oscar Peterson. They were both awesome!) However, I have since downloaded some of Gordon's music and the music of other jazz greats mentioned as well, adding to what I already have. One couldn't help but like Dexter - he seemed to be the kind of fellow who was a very good friend. Not only was it fascinating to read about Dexter's life but also snippets of the lives of other great jazz musicians. The only thing I didn't like about the book was the size of some of the print - it was SO small! Not so good for older people. Besides that, it was a great read.
December 13, 2021
You'll have got to this because a) you know who Dexter Gordon was and b) you like his horn. As a jazz auto/biography it has a long way to go to match Beneath the Underdog or Art Pepper's Straight Life: The Story Of Art Pepper, particularly given that it was written by his ex-wife and to a degree even partly written by the Vice Pres himself. I suppose the other reason you'll come to this is Dexter's rather stunning performance in the Bernard Tavernier film 'Round Midnight'
The book itself? Put-downable. Dexter's music? Incomparable.
The book itself? Put-downable. Dexter's music? Incomparable.
July 9, 2019
Maxine Gordon hit a home run with this one! The book is a combined autobiography/memoir and biography of her late husband, Dexter Gordon, an icon of the tenor saxophone. The author has a keen inside understanding of jazz music and the ups and downs of touring jazz musicians. Dexter comes from the tradition of Charlie Parker, Lester Young and Ben Webster. He embraced bebop and took it to new heights, playing with beautiful spontaneity in a voice truly his own. The story gives an authentic account of Dexter Gordon, his bands, his relationships, struggles and triumphs. If you are not familiar with Gordon's music, his recordings are consistently brilliant, and "Go," recorded in 1962, is a great place to start listening. Excellent.
June 30, 2020
I was worried this book would be overly sentimental and biased, due to its being written by Dexter Gordon's last wife. While Maxine Gordon certainly tells the story of being Dexter's wife and expresses her love and admiration for the man, she also presents a surprisingly lucid scholarly account of the tenor saxophonist's life and times. She does not write purely from personal experience, but rather demonstrates a thoroughly researched and widely sourced understanding both of Dexter Gordon individually and the circumstances--political, economic, social, and musical--that made Dexter Gordon the icon he was.
June 19, 2022
This book is meticulously researched, and respectfully presented in a manner worthy of a true artist. Dexter Gordon is revealed not only as a great saxophone player, but a fine intellect and a fascinating man. There is also plenty to learn about the times and places that shaped him, the heart of Jazz's classic era. I recommend reading with some classic Gordon recordings on hand.
I should also say that I was touched by the circumstances of the book - written by his widow Maxine Gordon, in part to honor his own effort to write a memoir, the notes of which she extensively quotes. We should all be so lucky as to have our stories told well by those who were closest to us.
I should also say that I was touched by the circumstances of the book - written by his widow Maxine Gordon, in part to honor his own effort to write a memoir, the notes of which she extensively quotes. We should all be so lucky as to have our stories told well by those who were closest to us.
January 24, 2019
What a creative biography. It tells the story of Dexter's life in particular, but also gives an intimate view into the life of a 20th century jazz musician in context. We see the racism that he faced, and how it affected his soul - and his career - while he still and always maintained his music. What a larger than life person he was! With such a deep and resonant sound. Maxine (his widow) captures all of that in this remarkable book. Written with love and warmth, but holding no punches, Maxine has written an elegant and worthy tribute to this sophisticated giant.
August 18, 2019
There are some gaps in this biography, mostly because tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon was so private that there were parts of his life that he wouldn't even share with his wife. But Maxine Gordon witnessed a lot and reconstructed what she could, and what's there is a satisfying portrait. She deftly illustrates the connections between Gordon and his fellow artists, and makes you wish you could have been there on the scene watching it all happen. A good book to read while listening to the songs and albums it discusses.
November 10, 2019
I read this researching for a biography I am writing and thoroughly enjoyed it. Unlike “Midnight at Noon” or some other biographies by the widows of jazz musicians, Maxine Gordon mixes personal anecdotes with real jazz history. And this enhances appreciation of Dexter Gordon’s incredible catalogue of recordings.
January 1, 2020
Fantastically researched, a thorough biography of the great Dexter Gordon.
One small criticism (spoiler alert!): While the business relationship between Maxine Gordon (the book’s author) and Dexter Gordon is described in detail, their transition into a family is quickly wrapped up in about a paragraph. It may of course have been a conscious choice, but it does feel a bit rushed and perhaps lack a certain personal touch that would have been expected.
One small criticism (spoiler alert!): While the business relationship between Maxine Gordon (the book’s author) and Dexter Gordon is described in detail, their transition into a family is quickly wrapped up in about a paragraph. It may of course have been a conscious choice, but it does feel a bit rushed and perhaps lack a certain personal touch that would have been expected.
October 27, 2018
Best biography I’ve read this year
January 27, 2019
An admiring and well-research artistic biography. It's a must-have for Dexter Gordon fans, and a should-have for all lovers of jazz and be bop.
February 26, 2025
Terrific!
May 27, 2021
A unique biography of a pivotal figure in 20th century music. From the big bands to Bebop to Europe to the Oscars, Dexter personified jazz in many ways, and Maxine Gordon uses his life as a way to look at the larger context.
September 6, 2021
Splendid
An engaging, generous, and moving portrait of one of the giants of bebop, written by his last wife. Dexter crammed several lives into one, died happy, and this bio captures Dexter and his world with beauty and humility.
An engaging, generous, and moving portrait of one of the giants of bebop, written by his last wife. Dexter crammed several lives into one, died happy, and this bio captures Dexter and his world with beauty and humility.
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