The only musician ever
nominated for an Oscar was, "Dexter 'LTD' Gordon (Long Tall Dexter)," for his
role in the most praised jazz film of all time, Bertrand Tavernier's, "Round
Midnight"; titled for Theolonius Monk's signature composition. In Tavernier's
jazz classic, Dexter plays expatriate, "Dale Turner," whose mission was to
depict a great creative artist, and reveal the pain which often accompanies the
exploration of beauty; an ongoing search for new melodic lines and harmonies
that prevail within the full musical spectrum...that is be-bop.
On
October 16, 1986, I had the pleasure of attending the Hollywood Premier of
"Round Midnight;" I was a guest of KLON, Long Beach; they were playing one of
my charts at the time. Seeing and hearing Dexter in person was an exciting and
emotional experience to behold. But seeing this 'sophisticated giant,' who
stood 6' 5" tall, the foremost tenor saxophonist of the be-bop era, on that
silver screen, not as big as life-bigger than life, was an experience I will
remember as long as I live.
Producer Tavernier hired Gordon for the
leading role in Round Midnight after paying him a visit at his New York
apartment; he was bewildered at what he saw. "I had to wait because he was
sleeping, but when he entered the room I was really affected, just by the way
he walked. Watching him come into the room, I had the impression that he was
going to fall down and die on the spot. I don't know who else could project
that."
Gordon's portrayal of Dale Turner in the film was truly
captivating; when he was on stage, that's all you could see; he dominated the
screen with his lofty and tottering presence. And with his raspy voice, which
is probably a few octaves below the average human voice, he dominated the
sound-on stage and off.
On the film set, Dexter hung photographs of
Charlie Parker and Lester Young in his trailer. And before every scene, he
would meditate upon them. He told producer, Tavernier, that he felt a
responsibility to the two idols because he had an opportunity to bring their
jazz personas to the screen.
At one point in the film, Dale turner
visits a French psychiatrist to discuss his pain dilemma. And with a
hands-out-from-his-head jester, he tells the shrink, "My life is music...my
love is music..." and with hands moving he finishes, "And
it's...twenty-four...hours..a..DAY."
Born and raised in Watts, Ca.,
Dexter's father was an LA physician whose patients included Duke Ellington and
Lionel Hampton. While in his early teens, Dexter fell under the sophisticated
preponderance of Lester Young and later, mastered the extroverted resonance or
Illinois Jacquet and the complex harmonies of Charlie Parker.
Dexter
was the first 'real' be-bop tenor saxophonist. At 17, he started with the
Lionel Hampton orchestra, and before he was 30, he had adorned the stages of
some of the top names in jazz history, including Louis Armstrong, Charlie
Parker, Miles Davis, and Billy Ekstine; his be-bop-chops were glowing.
Producer Bertrand Tavernier had this to say about be-bop..."Be-bop musicians
are the real geniuses of America. They created the only music in America that
has never been co-opted or bastardized by the system." And says Dizzy
Gillespie, "It is the most serious music ever made in America, and a lot of
people have died for it." Theolonius Monk has this to say..."If you really
understand the meaning of be-bop, you understand the meaning of freedom." And
Dexter offers..."Be-bop is such a light name for such a demanding music."
Monk spoke of the meaning of freedom, and Tavernier relates this to
the film..."I tried to reflect this spirit in the structure of the film: no
intricate plots, no twists, but a free flow of voice-overs, time lapses,
flash-forwards in the middle of the film, and the laying of one musical number
over another."
In 1962, Dexter played a two week gig at Ronnie Scotts
in London. Here he premiered his laid-back behind-the-beat phrasing; the gig
was so successful, he decided to stay on. He found the racial climate quite
relaxed, and eventually, he found home in Copenhagen. During his fifteen-year
stay in Europe, he made a few sojourns, and during one, he performed at
Storrytowne in New York. On opening night, the place was bulging with peers and
fans; Dexter received a standing ovation after every set. One of his fans that
night was Bruce Lundvall, president of CBS Records Group; subsequently, Dexter
was signed by Columbia.
Dexter returned to New York in 1976. Then, in
1980, he was elected to the "Jazz Hall of Fame." And in 1978 and 1980, Downbeat
Magazine named him the "Musician of The Year."
Gordon had a remarkable
comprehension of the harmonic structure of chords. As Jimmy Heath once said.
"Nobody knows chords like Dexter." From his album, "The Best of Dexter," when
we listen to his acappella coda at the end of "Body and Soul," we hear an
emotionally commanded, astounding exhibition of his inimitable saxophone
prowess.
When it comes to playing ballads, there's Dexter Gordon, and
then there's...........? From his 1982 album, "Dexter Gordon-American
Classics," in an interview, Dexter had this to say about ballads. "When you
know the lyrics to a tune...you have some kind of insight as to it's
composition...if you don't understand what it's about, your're depriving
yourself of being really able to communicate this poem." With longish tones
emanating from the lowest register of his horn, Dexter ranks among the few most
thoughtful and articulate ballad players existent.
Before Dexter gives
the downbeat for a ballad, and at times, an up-tempo standard, he usually
verbalizes, in his low-pitched, raspy voice, the first few lines, and
sometimes, the first eight bars, of the lyrics. And when the tune comes to an
end, Dexter's method of cutting the band off is anything but...conventional;
with his horn hanging form his neck, his arms out to the side, he does a few
half-knee bends while his side-men exercise a few moments of musical freedom.
With one last knee-bend, his hands come down ending the tune. Dexter does not
excercise a conventional bow, rather, his signature bow; holding his horn in a
horizontal fashion, he turns to thank the audience for their generous
applause...bowing his head; truly a dramatic performance in itself.
During interviews, Dexter has made many quotes that, to this day, still ring in
the ears of so many. Here are a few: "Darlin...be-bop is the music of the
future." "If you can't play the blues...you might as well hang it up." And,
from the back of one of my videos, "...Jazz to me is a living music. It's a
music that since it's beginning has expressed the feelings, the dreams, hopes,
of the people." And when I think of the tremendous amount of music within his
musical self, I can see him, with his hands held at the side of his head as he
says, "A...reservoir...of sounds..."
On Wednesday, April 25th, 1990,
the free spirited saxophone signature of the be-bop era, whose dispirited
demeanor and laconic wit gracefully adorned the stages and sets of that jazz
classic, "Round Midnight," did his last gig...here. However, it is my intuitive
and spiritual guess that, Dexter is fronting his own group at...'that big gig
in the sky.'
The day after his passing, I received two phone calls
from lady friends, also friends of Dexter's; they asked how I was feeling, and
suggested I get out my 'ax' and start wood-shedding. When I didn't show too
much excitement, they came up with, "Richard, you're the only one that can
sound like him."
Dexter left behind a legacy of records, videos,
and...memories; his performances still ring in the eyes, ears, and hearts of so
many...especially my own; such as his lyricism and mannerisms emanating from
a...'composite of Dexter.'
Before I leave Dexter, a few rounds about
the Academy Awards of February, 1987. The Oscar for best actor 'did not' go to
Dexter Gordon; it went to .... ......! Was it because he was black; he wasn't a
member of the Screen Actors Guild? At the time, critics had said, Dexter wasn't
acting, he was just being himself. For most, it's history now...but not for me!
He towered over most, but not just because of his 6'5" stance. He was
towering on the inside-with pride-pride for what he brought to the 'silver
screen.' In the classic jazz film, one that had an ambiance unique only unto
itself, "Round Midnight," Dexter's role as Dale Turner exemplified more than
some know; the trials and tribulations of an archetypal of jazz/be-bop
musicians as they excercise their search for beauty-the expansion of musical
sonorities-new harmonic horizons.
At the time, Dexter may not have
been aware of this but, in the film, he gave inspiration and hope to so
many-musicians and non-musicians alike......I am one of those musicians. "
THANK YOU DEXTER "
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