Dexter Gordon - Gettin' Around
Dexter Gordon, tenor saxophone [click here to see more vinyl featuring Dexter Gordon]
Bobby Hutcherson, vibraphone [click here to see more products featuring Bobby Hutcherson]
Barry Harris, piano
Bob Cranshaw, bass
Billy Higgins, drums
Written by Antonio Maria (A1), Luiz Bonfa (A1), Newley (A2), Bricusse (A2), Hoffman (A3), Klenner (A3), Frank Foster (B1), H. Greenfield (B2), H. Keller (B2), D. Gordon (B3)
1 LP, Standard jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 33RPM
Size : 12”
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Optimal
Label : Blue Note Classic Series
Original Label : Blue Note
Recorded at Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey on May 28-29, 1965
Recorded by Rudy Van Gelder
Produced by Alfred Lion
Remastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio
Design by Reid Miles
Photography by Francis Wolff
Originally released in 1966
Reissued in November 2024
Tracks :
Side A:
- Manhã de Carnaval
- Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
- Heartaches
Side B:
- Shiny Stockings
- Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool
- Le Coiffeur
Reviews :
"Dexter Gordon's mid-'60s period living in Europe also meant coming back to the U.S. for the occasional recording session. His teaming with Bobby Hutcherson was intriguing in that the vibraphonist was marking his territory as a maverick and challenging improviser. Here the two principals prove compatible in that they have a shared sense of how to create sheer beauty in a post-bop world. Add the brilliant Barry Harris to this mix, and that world is fortunate enough to hear these grand masters at their creative peak, stoked by equally extraordinary sidemen like bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Billy Higgins, all on loan from Lee Morgan's hitmaking combo. The subtle manner in which Gordon plays melodies or caresses the most recognizable standard has always superseded his ability to ramble through rough-and-tumble bebop. It's hard to resist how Gordon massages the light and sweet bossa nova "Manha de Carnaval" hand in hand with Hutcherson, the heartfelt way "Who Can I Turn To?" or "Everybody's Somebody's Fool" is turned into a personalized statement, or how the co-leaders take Frank Foster's Count Basie staple, "Shiny Stockings," beyond a classic and into immortal territory. Where Gordon and Hutcherson's true strength lies is in their ability to listen and balance their sound into a unified whole beyond any other tenor sax-vibraphone combination you might care to name, unless it's Hutch's partnership in the ensuing years with Harold Land. Picking up on a Sonny Rollins idea, "Heartaches" is a loping cowboy-type swinger with some lustrous comping from Hutcherson and Harris, while the light, cat-prancing "Le Coiffeur" is the highlight among highlights, a stealth calypso with Gordon's deftly rendered staccato notation. One has to listen closer to the pianist on this date, as he buoys the others without demanding equal space, but he is just as reverberant. While this is not Gordon's ultimate hard bop date, it is reflective of his cooling out in Europe, adopting a tonal emphasis more under the surface than in your face. It's not essential, but quite enjoyable, and does mark a turning point in his illustrious career. [The CD version contains two bonus tracks, including the Onzy Matthews composition "Very Saxily Yours" with a melody very similar to "Shiny Stockings," Hutcherson alone during a second chorus, and a classy quarter-to-eighth note solo by Gordon. Ben Tucker's "Flick of a Trick" is added on, an 11-minute groove blues that lets Harris cut loose, digging in after-hours style.]" AllMusic Review by Michael G. Nastos
Ratings:
AllMusic: 3.5/5 , Discogs: 4.78 / 5