THE DEXTER GORDON LEGACY QUARTET
DOUG LAWRENCE - TENOR SAXOPHONE
GEORGE CABLES - PIANO
JOHN WEBBER - BASS
LOUIS HAYES - DRUMS
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd
SITE Santa Fe Auditorium
(Auditorium Entrance at the side of the building)
Doors at 7:00pm - Concert at 7:30pm
TICKETS: $30 (SFMC Member) - $35 (non-member)
Reservations and Info: 505-946-7934
The Dexter Gordon Legacy Quartet. will perform in Taos for the Taos Jazz Bebop Society on Thursday, November 21 and at The Outpost on Friday, November 22 at 7:30pm. Info at The Outpost in Albuquerque.
Jazz historian Maxine Gordon, who also happens to be the widow of the great tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon, has put together a quartet of musicians who are both directly and indirectly linked to the iconic tenor man. In many ways, this current band has come full circle from the late 1970’s, when Dexter returned to the USA for the first time after living for 14 years in Europe, up until today, some 40 years later.
Starting with drummer Louis Hayes, who appeared on the Grammy® winning “Homecoming: Live At The Village Vanguard” album recorded in 1978 after Dexter’s long residency in Europe. Louis Hayes, who himself is considered an icon of jazz drumming because of his prolific career appearing on some of the most historic recordings in jazz history with such artists as - Lester Young, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Nancy Wilson, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, McCoy Tyner, Booker Little, Cecil Taylor, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Wes Montgomery and many more. Louis’ connection with Dexter Gordon comes not only from performing and recording with Dexter himself, but from the early days of working with Dexter’s hero, the great Lester Young.
Pianist George Cables also enters the Dexter Gordon story in the late 1970’s, when Dexter returns to the USA. It was always Dexter’s dream to have a working band, a band that traveled and performed together and recorded together. A band that he could grow with and build on night after night. It was something he was never able to do in his long storied career until he put the band together with George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums. It was, as Dexter always said, his “favorite band ever”. The corner stone of this quartet was the brilliant and original pianist George Cables. The interaction between George and Dexter has become a legendary partnership in jazz. George, now one of the most respected pianists in the history of jazz has performed and recorded with a veritable “who’s who” including Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Art Pepper, Joe Farrell, Joe Chambers, Frank Morgan, Woody Shaw and many more.
Tenor saxophonist Doug Lawrence first met Dexter Gordon in 1978 when Dexter made his way off the stage at the club “Joyous Lake” in Woodstock, NY, walking through the crowded room to the back of the venue to introduce himself to Doug, who had been standing against the back wall, “rooting” Dexter on. It was at this moment that Doug realized how tall Dexter was, as they were both looking at each other eye to eye. It was the first time the two met, but it wouldn’t be the last. Doug, who began making a name for himself in New York City when he arrived in 1977 soon began working with another one of Dexter’s idols, the great Buck Clayton and his band which included other musicians important to Dexter including Frank Wess (Wess and Dexter had been on Billy Eckstine’s band together), Mel Lewis, Eddie Jones, Joe Wilder and others. It was Buck Clayton who first told the New York Times that Doug reminded him of Lester Young. The two, Buck and Lester, had been the foundation of the first Count Basie Orchestra, and they both remained Dexter’s idols his entire life. It wasn’t long before Doug scored the coveted “Lester Young” chair in the venerable orchestra. It was the only gig Dexter Gordon had ever wanted. If you read Maxine Gordon’s biography on Dexter, you will come to the part of the book which discusses Dexter’s love for the Basie band, Lester Young and that “Lester Young” chair in particular. After meeting Dexter in 1978, Doug Lawrence was profoundly influenced by him. So much so, that Blue Note records requested Doug play at one of Dexter’s last birthday parties at the famed Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Dexter was so moved, he came up on stage and sat next to Doug while he played that night. Doug’s connection with Dexter also includes Doug and George Cables relationship of 25 years, including touring around the world and in particular the now famous tour of New Mexico in 1997, the last time Doug and George appeared together in New Mexico.
Bassist John Webber may best be described as the “tenor players’ bassist. These are some of the tenor players John was the regular bassist for, especially longtime friend and associate of Dexter’s, the great Johnny Griffin, (who also happened to be a big Doug Lawrence fan, once describing Doug as one of the very few young tenor players he liked in a 1988 interview on WKCR radio in New York). Other historic tenor saxophonists include Junior Cook, Von Freeman, Lin Halliday, Frank Wess, Eric Alexander and George Coleman to name a few. The latter two still employ John as their first call bassist. This isn’t to say that John only played with great tenor players. His resume is vast and includes recordings and performances with Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Harold Mabern. Eddie Henderson, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Wilder and many others. John was also on the infamous 1997 New Mexico tour with George Cables and Doug Lawrence.
Starting with drummer Louis Hayes, who appeared on the Grammy® winning “Homecoming: Live At The Village Vanguard” album recorded in 1978 after Dexter’s long residency in Europe. Louis Hayes, who himself is considered an icon of jazz drumming because of his prolific career appearing on some of the most historic recordings in jazz history with such artists as - Lester Young, Horace Silver, Cannonball Adderley, Nat Adderley, Nancy Wilson, John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Bobby Timmons, Hank Mobley, McCoy Tyner, Booker Little, Cecil Taylor, Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Wes Montgomery and many more. Louis’ connection with Dexter Gordon comes not only from performing and recording with Dexter himself, but from the early days of working with Dexter’s hero, the great Lester Young.
Pianist George Cables also enters the Dexter Gordon story in the late 1970’s, when Dexter returns to the USA. It was always Dexter’s dream to have a working band, a band that traveled and performed together and recorded together. A band that he could grow with and build on night after night. It was something he was never able to do in his long storied career until he put the band together with George Cables on piano, Rufus Reid on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums. It was, as Dexter always said, his “favorite band ever”. The corner stone of this quartet was the brilliant and original pianist George Cables. The interaction between George and Dexter has become a legendary partnership in jazz. George, now one of the most respected pianists in the history of jazz has performed and recorded with a veritable “who’s who” including Art Blakey, Sonny Rollins, Freddie Hubbard, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Art Pepper, Joe Farrell, Joe Chambers, Frank Morgan, Woody Shaw and many more.
Tenor saxophonist Doug Lawrence first met Dexter Gordon in 1978 when Dexter made his way off the stage at the club “Joyous Lake” in Woodstock, NY, walking through the crowded room to the back of the venue to introduce himself to Doug, who had been standing against the back wall, “rooting” Dexter on. It was at this moment that Doug realized how tall Dexter was, as they were both looking at each other eye to eye. It was the first time the two met, but it wouldn’t be the last. Doug, who began making a name for himself in New York City when he arrived in 1977 soon began working with another one of Dexter’s idols, the great Buck Clayton and his band which included other musicians important to Dexter including Frank Wess (Wess and Dexter had been on Billy Eckstine’s band together), Mel Lewis, Eddie Jones, Joe Wilder and others. It was Buck Clayton who first told the New York Times that Doug reminded him of Lester Young. The two, Buck and Lester, had been the foundation of the first Count Basie Orchestra, and they both remained Dexter’s idols his entire life. It wasn’t long before Doug scored the coveted “Lester Young” chair in the venerable orchestra. It was the only gig Dexter Gordon had ever wanted. If you read Maxine Gordon’s biography on Dexter, you will come to the part of the book which discusses Dexter’s love for the Basie band, Lester Young and that “Lester Young” chair in particular. After meeting Dexter in 1978, Doug Lawrence was profoundly influenced by him. So much so, that Blue Note records requested Doug play at one of Dexter’s last birthday parties at the famed Roseland Ballroom in New York City. Dexter was so moved, he came up on stage and sat next to Doug while he played that night. Doug’s connection with Dexter also includes Doug and George Cables relationship of 25 years, including touring around the world and in particular the now famous tour of New Mexico in 1997, the last time Doug and George appeared together in New Mexico.
Bassist John Webber may best be described as the “tenor players’ bassist. These are some of the tenor players John was the regular bassist for, especially longtime friend and associate of Dexter’s, the great Johnny Griffin, (who also happened to be a big Doug Lawrence fan, once describing Doug as one of the very few young tenor players he liked in a 1988 interview on WKCR radio in New York). Other historic tenor saxophonists include Junior Cook, Von Freeman, Lin Halliday, Frank Wess, Eric Alexander and George Coleman to name a few. The latter two still employ John as their first call bassist. This isn’t to say that John only played with great tenor players. His resume is vast and includes recordings and performances with Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Harold Mabern. Eddie Henderson, Jimmy Cobb, Joe Wilder and many others. John was also on the infamous 1997 New Mexico tour with George Cables and Doug Lawrence.
The Dexter Gordon Legacy Quartet. will perform in Taos for the Taos Jazz Bebop Society on Thursday, November 21 and at The Outpost Performance Space on Friday, November 22nd at 7:30pm. Info at The Outpost Performance Space.
WITH SINCERE THANKS - TO OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS AND GRANTOR
Meredith Speers and Seamus Malin
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DICK and LAURIE MEYER
DAVE EDWARDS
ELAINE and MICHAEL BROWN
BRUCE JOHNSON and DIANE RAMSEY
MARY and GARY KILPATRIC
KATHY and RICK ABELES
Sustaining Members: ANNA and MARK DAVIS
Sustaining Members: JERI and DON BALICK
DAVE EDWARDS
ELAINE and MICHAEL BROWN
BRUCE JOHNSON and DIANE RAMSEY
MARY and GARY KILPATRIC
KATHY and RICK ABELES
Sustaining Members: ANNA and MARK DAVIS
Sustaining Members: JERI and DON BALICK
