Dexter Gordon - Settin' the Pace [Proper]

One of the most important yet overlooked figures in jazz is given his due with this amazing four-disc set on Proper. Going for the label's usual bargain-basement rate (roughly 20 dollars a pop), Settin' the Pace rounds up 55 of the tenor innovator's bop sides from the latter half of the '40s. Replete with a handsome and bulky booklet full of excellent photos, notes, and sessionographies, this import makes a solid case for Gordon being the key link between early tenor giants like Coleman Hawkins and hard bop upstart Sonny Rollins. Besides that, there's a consistently solid array of classic bop cuts. Whether backing up Billy Eckstine ("Blowin' the Blues Away") and Dizzy Gillespie ("Groovin' High") or with his own combos ("Dexter's Deck"), Gordon is in top form throughout. Settin' the Pace, indeed. ~ Stephen Cook, All Music Guide

Name Credits Al Grey Trombone Al Lucas Bass Alton Moore Trombone Argonne Thornton Piano Art Blakey Drums Art Mardigan Drums Barney Kessel Guitar Ben Webster Sax (Tenor) Benny Carter Trumpet Bill Frazier Sax (Alto) Billy Eckstine Vocals, Trombone Buck Clayton Trumpet Bud Powell Piano Budd Johnson Sax (Alto) Carlos Vidal Bolado Conga Charlie Parker Sax (Alto) Chips Outcalt Trombone Chuck Thompson Drums Chuck Wayne Guitar Clark Terry Trumpet Connie Kay Drums Connie Wainwright Guitar Curly Russell Bass Danny Barker Guitar Dexter Gordon Sax (Tenor) Diego Iborra Bongos Dizzy Gillespie Trumpet Dodo Marmarosa Piano Don Byas Sax (Tenor) Duke Ellington Piano Ed Nicholson Drums Emmett Berry Trumpet Fats Navarro Trumpet Frank Paparelli Piano Freddie Green Guitar Gene Ammons Sax (Tenor) Gene Ramey Bass Gerald Valentine Trombone Hampton Hawes Piano Hank Jones Piano Harry "Sweets" Edison Trumpet Harry Babasin Bass Helen Humes Vocals Herbie Fields Sax (Tenor) Howard McGhee Trumpet J.C. Heard Drums Jackie Mills Drums Jimmy Bunn Piano Jimmy Butts Bass Jimmy Giuffre Sax (Tenor) Jimmy Rowles Piano Joe Newman Trumpet John Jackson Sax (Alto) John Simmons Bass Johnny Miller Bass Joost Visser Liner Notes Kai Winding Trombone Ken Kennedy Drums Kenny Clarke Drums Leo Parker Sax (Baritone) Leonard Hawkins Trumpet Lucky Thompson Sax (Tenor) Maurice Simon Sax (Baritone) Max Roach Drums Maxine Sullivan Vocals Melba Liston Trombone Nat King Cole Piano Neal Hefti Trumpet Nelson Boyd Bass Percy Brice Drums Ray Linn Trumpet Red Callender Bass Red Norvo Vibraphone Roy Porter Drums Russell Procope Sax (Alto) Sahib Shihab Sax (Alto) Sandy Williams Trombone Shadow Wilson Drums Shorty McConnell Trumpet Shorty Rogers Arranger, Trumpet Sonny Criss Sax (Alto) Sonny Stitt Sax (Alto) Sonny White Piano Stuff Smith Violin Tadd Dameron Piano Taswell Baird Trombone Teddy Edwards Sax (Tenor) Tommy Potter Bass Tony Scott Clarinet, Sax (Alto) Trummy Young Trombone Vernon Smith Trumpet Wardell Gray Sax (Tenor) Willard Brown Sax (Alto), Sax (Baritone) William K. "Billy" Hadnott Bass