Dexter Gordon
Tenor Sax Solo on
Second Balcony Jump

About

Dexter Gordon's tenor sax solo is the closing of 3 solos on this recording, following Sonny Clark's piano. Spanning one chorus of the 32-bar AABA form at an up-tempo 193 BPM with a swing feel in B♭, the solo runs approximately 40 seconds. 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.