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About Dexter Gordon

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Musician

Dexter Gordon is considered to be the first musician to translate the language of Bebop to the tenor saxophone. Dexter Keith Gordon was born on February 27, 1923 in Los Angeles, California. His father, Dr. Frank Gordon, was one of the first African American doctors in Los Angeles who arrived in 1918 after graduating from Howard Medical School in Washington, D.C. Among his patients were Duke Ellington and Lionel Hampton. Dexter's mother, Gwendolyn Baker, was the daughter of Captain Edward Baker, one of the five African American Medal of Honor recipients in the Spanish-American War. He began his study of music with the clarinet at age 13, then switched to the alto saxophone at 15, and finally to the tenor saxophone at 17

Article: Profile

The Discreet Charm of Tete Montoliu

by Con Chapman
September 9, 2026

In 1947 tenor saxophonist Don Byas, a transplant from America following a tour of Europe, joined a society orchestra--complete with strings--to play dates in Spain. After their ballroom engagement was over, Byas and the band's rhythm section would jam until the early morning hours when they would be forced to quit “either because the police burst ...

Article: Rising Stars

Introducing Saxophonist Jay Thatte

by Sanford Josephson
August 1, 2026

Jay Thatte has been playing music since he was seven years old, starting out on classical piano. In the sixth grade at Newark Academy, a coeducational private day school in Livingston, NJ, where he lives, he was exposed to jazz by Julius Tolentino, the Director of Bands. “He introduced me to clarinet and saxophone," Thatte recalled. ...

Article: Interview

Lucy Yeghiazaryan: Serious And Seriously Talented

by R.J. DeLuke
July 31, 2026

Lucy Yeghiazaryan is one of the most compelling jazz vocalists to emerge in recent years. Especially in New York, where she regularly performs in the city's jazz clubs, audiences have been drawn to her rich, powerful tone and her ability to bring an enchanting emotional depth to every lyric. Those qualities, along with her ...

Article: Radio & Podcasts

Classic Jazz from Jimmy Smith, Dexter Gordon, and Others; Recent Releases from Chris Hazelton, Cecile McLorin Salvant, and more

by David W. Daniels
July 21, 2026

In addition to the musicians named in the title, this edition of Exploration features music from Atlanta based performers Joe Alterman, Karla Harris, and Melvin Jones. Our nod to birthdays for the week includes Theo Croker, Angelique Kidjo, Alan Dawson, and others. Playlist Charles McPherson “Explorations" from McPherson's Mood (Prestige) 00:00 Jimmy Smith “Mustard ...

Article: Interview

The Art of Swing: A Conversation with Champian Fulton

by Mark Robbins
July 19, 2026

There are some musicians who seem completely at home in the language of jazz, and Champian Fulton is certainly one of them. As both a pianist and vocalist, she's built a career on bringing the Great American Songbook to life with elegance, swing, and an unmistakable sense of joy. Her performances feel rooted in the tradition, ...

Article: Take Five With...

Take Five with Clarinetist Davide Sgarra

by AAJ Staff
June 1, 2026

Meet Davide SgarraDavide Sgarra is an Italian jazz clarinetist and saxophonist based in Brooklyn, New York. Born and raised near Varese in northern Italy, he went on to earn his Bachelor of Music from the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague in the Netherlands and his Master of Music from Manhattan School of Music in New York ...

Article: In Tribute To...

Miles Davis At 100: A Global Perspective

by Ian Patterson
May 26, 2026

Miles Davis' centenary has arrived. The second century begins. What changes jazz has undergone in the 100 years since Miles Dewey Davis was born in Alton, Illinois on May 26, 1926! Davis was all about change, evolution, growth, and reinvention. A driving force behind many of the changes in direction jazz took during his ...

Article: Live Review

Brad Mehldau at the Cleveland Museum of Art

by C. Andrew Hovan
May 24, 2026

Brad Mehldau Trio Cleveland Museum of Art Cleveland, OH May, 13 2026 It had been exactly a decade since pianist Brad Mehldau last appeared on a concert stage in Northeast Ohio when he returned on a cold spring evening for his first performance at the Cleveland Museum of Art's Gartner Auditorium. ...

Article: Interview

Davidsson: A Lifeline from the Land of Fire and Ice

by Dean Nardi
May 5, 2026

Icelandic artist Thorleifur Gaukur Davidsson grew up on a volcanic island called Heimaey, four miles off the coast of Iceland. He records by his Swedish patronymic surname, meaning “son of David." His debut album Lifelines (OPIA, 2024) is filled with memories and emotions culled from family and the natural beauty of his home island. Davidsson took ...