Lady Bird

Dexter Gordon
Duration: 05:41
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It’s rare for the New York Times to give space to a jazz icon, so when they printed "5 Minutes That Will Make You Love Dexter Gordon" in January 2026 (with song links), it felt time to revisit this tenor sax legend. Dexter Gordon’s sound beautifully bridged the swing feel of straight-ahead jazz with dexterity of bop. As can be heard on "Lady Bird," the sax player uniquely balanced the elements of his sound. Often, he would play a hair behind the beat, with a syncopation that was closer to straight 8ths than a swung triplet feel and using a full breath supporting each note’s tone but never over-blowing. One of the finest moments in jazz film is Round Midnight (1986, Warner Bros.), in which Gordon acted and played songs live, while portraying a poor, drug-addicted musician who gave his soul to play jazz.

Posted by Scott Lichtman.