Dexter Gordon
Tenor Sax Solo on
Second Balcony Jump

About

Dexter Gordon's tenor sax solo is the opening of 3 solos on this recording, followed by Sonny Clark on piano. Spanning four choruses of the 32-bar AABA form at an up-tempo 180 BPM with a swing feel in B♭, the solo runs approximately 2:50. The composition is a contrafact based on the chord changes of "I Got Rhythm." The rhythm changes form was a proving ground for bebop musicians, and Gordon's mastery of the idiom is total, his improvisations flowing with a naturalness that belies the harmonic sophistication of his note choices. Dexter Gordon was 38 to 39 years old at the time of this 1962 recording.

Dexter Gordon was 38 to 39 years old at the time.