"Sticky Wicket" from Dexter Gordon's 1969 album More Power! is a medium-tempo blues in B-flat composed by Gordon, featuring extended solos from both the leader and pianist Barry Harris. Gordon stretches out for 12 compelling choruses at 144 BPM, his tenor saxophone weaving through the 12-bar blues form with the unhurried confidence of a master storyteller. Harris follows with five piano choruses, his deeply rooted bebop style providing a different but complementary perspective on the blues. The blues was always a fundamental part of Gordon's musical vocabulary, and this performance demonstrates his ability to find seemingly inexhaustible melodic possibilities within the form's familiar harmonic framework. Each chorus builds on what came before, creating a narrative arc that rewards attentive listening. More Power! was recorded in 1969 at Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, capturing Gordon during one of his visits back to the United States from his European base in Copenhagen. The album showcases his continued vitality as both a composer and improviser, and "Sticky Wicket" stands as one of its most satisfying performances. The blues format strips away harmonic complexity, placing the emphasis squarely on melodic invention, rhythmic creativity, and the ability to tell a compelling musical story.
