Our Man In Paris (1963) — Dexter Gordon

Listening

To listen to this album for free, visit Our Man In Paris @ Last.fm. To play a song, click the round play button next to its name.

Nitty Gritty (Reference Section)

Recorded May 23, 1963, except “Like Someone In Love”, which seems to have been recorded during a different session (maybe July 20, 1967?). Line-up: Dexter Gordon (tenor saxophone), Bud Powell (piano), Pierre Michelot (bass), Kenny Clarke (drums). Again, I don’t know what the exact line-up is for the track “Like Someone In Love”.

Personal Connections

Dexter Gordon is one of my favorite players. By the end of this week, I hope you have a sense of why that may be.

One thing that might be important to mention in regards to Dexter Gordon is that the album for which this blog is named is his: A Swingin’ Affair (1962). I will likely write about that album at some point, but it truthfully isn’t a favorite of mine (sure do like the title though), so I decided to start out with Our Man In Paris, which is a favorite of mine!

Like most jazz artists who I now dig, I remember a time when I didn’t get what the big deal was with Dex. I remember having two of his most famous albums for a long time and never really enjoying either of them. These were Go! and A Swingin’ Affair, both from 1962. I remember feeling like they didn’t leave much for me to hang my hat on. I also felt alienated by their sound. In retrospect, I think that it was some combination of Billy Higgins’ drumming and the production of the album (a very bright, live mix) that turned me off. The whole thing felt too aggressive for me.

I ended up being turned on to Dexter Gordon through the movie Round Midnight (1986), in which Dexter starred (he was nominated for an Academy Award for his performance).

This movie is about a fictional jazz musician living in Paris. Specifics of it were based on the true stories of Lester Young and Bud Powell. Some aspects of it also seem to be based on Dexter Gordon, who played the jazz musician in the film. One of the best parts of the film is the music (composed by Herbie Hancock). In particular, there are scenes in a jazz club that feature actual jazz musicians (including Dex and Herbie) both as actors and as the musicians.

What’s With The Name?

Dexter Gordon was one of a group of American jazz musicians who moved to and settled in Europe. In general, they found both less racism and more opportunities to make a living as a jazz musician there. Dex settled in Paris, as Our Man In Paris suggests. Bud Powell (the pianist on the album) and Kenny Clarke (the drummer on the album) were likewise American jazz musicians who settled in Paris. The bassist on the album, Pierre Michelot, was the only true Parisian on the album.

The Music

There are a number of things that I love about Dex’s playing on this album (many of them are highlights of his playing more generally). One is the feel of the album. The entire thing is laid-back. It just swings along and feels great, whether they are playing a ballad or a brisker number. This is one of the things that initially attracted me to Dex’s playing in the movie Round Midnight. I really love Dex’s solos on this album and in general. To me, they are extremely clear and well thought out. Each phrase means something and is part of the story he is telling (listen, for example, to his solo on Stairway To The Stars, which I find to be beautiful, elegant, and simple). Nothing is played for naught. One final thing that I love about Dex’s playing is the constant joy that he finds in filling his solos with quotations. Two simple examples on this album are a quotation of “Summertime” in A Night In Tunisia (beginning at 2:14) and a brief quote of “Pop Goes The Weasel” (a tune that Dex uses often) in Our Love Is Here To Stay (beginning at 2:21).

The only other thing I’ll say about the music for now is about his choice of songs on the album. Here, he plays only jazz standards. Scrapple From The Apple and A Night In Tunisia are bebop standards, tipping his hat to the era of jazz that is probably his largest influence (same goes for his sidemen Bud Powell and Kenny Clarke). There isn’t an effort to show off what he is capable in this idiom; he just wants to play good music! The other songs are all standards from Tin Pan Alley (the era of the Gershwins, Rogers & Hart, etc.). I guess that among them, Broadway has the least right to be called a “standard”, as it isn’t played a ton by jazz artists besides Dexter. I think it’s a really neat little tune though. I have always loved it, and it is definitely characteristic of Tin Pan Alley as well.

A standout for me on this album is the track Willow Weep For Me. It is a great tune, filled with great playing, and I particularly like the surprise ending (Dex gears up for an ending at around 8:00, but the band kicks back in and they bring the tune home in style. I wish it didn’t just fade out from there, though).

It’s true, Dexter was known for playing with one of my favorite bassists while in Europe: Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen (“the great Dane with the long name”). Soon, I’ll get to one of my favorite albums where they play together. I thought that Our Man In Paris made for a better introduction to Dexter Gordon though (and the bassist on this album, Pierre Michelot is under-appreciated anyways. I think he’s great on this album!).

Thanks again for reading!

Dan