Dexter Gordon

As one of the great tenors to emerge from Los Angeles' Central Avenue scene of the 1940s, Dexter Gordon led a colorful and eventful, sometimes tragic life that included three triumphant comebacks in a four-plus-decade career. Gordon was the top tenor saxophonist during the bop era and possessed his own distinctive sound, he created a large body of superior work and could successfully battle nearly anyone at a jam session. His years as a leader and co-leader at Dial, Savoy, and especially Blue Note as with 1961's Doin' Alright, 1962's Go!, and 1963's Our Man in Paris, were enou...