Dexter Gordon
Tenor Sax Solo on
Devilette

About

Dexter Gordon's tenor saxophone solo is the first of two improvisations on this Latin-flavored piece composed by bassist Ben Tucker. Taking seven choruses of the 24-bar ABA form in G minor at 128 BPM, Gordon delivers a commanding performance that showcases his huge sound and behind-the-beat phrasing. The extended solo builds across its seven choruses with the architectural logic and quotation-laced wit that defined his improvisational style, the Latin groove providing an rhythmic foundation quite different from the straight-ahead swing settings more commonly associated with his playing.

Dexter Gordon was 43 to 44 years old at the time.