"Sonnymoon for Two" from Dexter Gordon's 1967 album Both Sides of Midnight is an epic blues performance featuring extended solos from all three front-line musicians. Sonny Rollins composed this memorable 12-bar blues head in B-flat, and Gordon seizes it as a vehicle for 28 prodigious choruses of tenor saxophone improvisation at a brisk 233 BPM. His solo builds in waves of intensity, demonstrating the storytelling capacity that set Gordon apart from his contemporaries. Kenny Drew follows with 22 piano choruses of his own, maintaining the momentum with inventive harmonic explorations. Bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen then takes eight impressive arco and pizzicato choruses, showcasing the technique that would make him one of the most acclaimed bassists in jazz history. Recorded live at the Montmartre Jazzhus in Copenhagen, this marathon performance captures the spontaneous energy and competitive spirit that characterized the best live jazz of the era. The total performance stretches well beyond ten minutes, reflecting the extended blowing format that audiences at the Montmartre expected and relished. Both Sides of Midnight documents a particularly creative period in Gordon's European years, and this track may be its most exciting single performance. The blues format strips away formal complexity, allowing each musician to communicate directly through rhythm, melody, and swing.
