Dexter Gordon: More Than You Know (1981)

More Than You Know is a previously unreleased live recording by jazz legend Dexter Gordon. It is the first in the GleAM Records series dedicated to the giants of jazz. The recording features saxophonist Gordon performing with his early 1980s quartet: Kirk Lightsey on piano, David Eubanks on bass and Eddie Gladden on drums. Dating from July 1981, it was recorded at the Villa Imperiale, Genoa, Italy and has the full backing of Gordon's estate.

Having played with and absorbed influences from Lionel Hampton, Louis Armstrong, Billy Eckstine, Charlie Parker and many others, Gordon's long career was marred by drug problems and prison terms. He became one of Blue Note Records' major artists in the 1960s before settling in Copenhagen, where he remained for 14 years. In Europe, he found less racism, the freedom to stretch out musically and greater respect for jazz musicians. He discovered some of his most devoted audiences in Italy, where he was held in the same esteem as opera or classical artists. Encouraged by Woody Shaw, Gordon moved back to the US in 1976 but remained a frequent visitor to Europe.

This double CD/vinyl has four lengthy tracks and a musical introductory section. Opening with a pulse from the rhythm section, "It's You Or No One," written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne (who also wrote "Let it Snow!"), soon locks into focus, finding Gordon's saxophone ringing out in long runs, clear, fluent and exciting. Lightsey takes over before a call and response section between the sax and Gladden's drums.

Sometimes nicknamed the "sophisticated giant," Dexter stood six feet six inches tall, but even he would have looked up to the six-foot-eight-inch American pianist Randy Weston, who composed the next track, "Hi Fly." Dexter's relaxed creativity and personality shine brightly through this excellent piece. Once again, followed by the on-form Lightsey, the track slowly builds to quite a pace before Eubanks solos, followed by Gladden's drum interventions.

The quartet members all excel on the saxophonist's original composition, "Back Stairs." Gordon's solo drives hard with a touch of blues, and Lightsey and Eubanks weave together superbly across the track's 23 minutes, although 11 of those are taken up by a marathon drum solo from the tireless Gladden.

Bringing the recording to a close, the title track is a delightful ballad that perfectly demonstrates how, in his mature years, the authority and vibrancy of Gordon's tone only increased. His 10-minute solo, complemented by the lightest of comps, is a terrific performance. Lightsey contributes an elegant improvisation while the bass and drums drive a tempo shift, adopting a more swinging feel before easing back to reintroduce the saxophone.

The album has been meticulously restored by Tommy Cavalieri at Sorriso Studios in Bari. Working from a deteriorated cassette plagued by tape hiss and magnetic degradation, Cavalieri painstakingly preserved the original performance while eliminating hiss, correcting pitch fluctuations and rebalancing the stereo channels. The result is a superb restoration that reveals the recording's true character.

This performance captures Gordon at a particularly inspired moment, sparking off the other band members as his solos unfold, a testament to his enduring influence and truly worth the preservation and restoration work. A few years after this session, Gordon's career would reach new heights with a starring role in Bertrand Tavernier's film 'Round Midnight, followed by an Academy Award nomination, but that is another story.