MAO Legendary Albums | Dexter Gordon: Dexter Blows Hot and Cool
In the Legendary Albums series, the Modern Art Orchestra performs material from albums of particular significance to jazz history. The concerts are not only a tribute to jazz legends and their works - the workshop behind the Legendary Albums is also a process of development. The musicians of the MAO study and internalise all of the current album material, leaving the musical structures and instrumentation intact for the performances. As improvisation and soloistic expression are essential components of the jazz language, the musicians naturally perform improvised solos at the concerts. Thanks to the respect for original compositions and orchestrations and the improvisations of musicians of the quality that the Modern Art Orchestra is known for, the Legendary Albums bring listeners into contact with the tradition of jazz masterpieces and guarantee a fresh musical experience. In the autumn season, the orchestra will commemorate two centenaries, while the other two evenings will bring back memorable collaborations.
Schedule
Dexter Gordon (1923-1990), born a hundred years ago, is truly iconic in the fashionable Americanism. Although he was born in the first great be-bop generation, growing up with Billy Eckstine, but also working with Lionel Hampton and Armstrong, it was Lester Young's voice that was closest to his heart. He played a lot on the West Coast, but he himself was influenced by Coltrane and Sonny Rollins, so he is seen as a figure who bridged the eras. When many members of his generation were lost in Europe, he lived on for a time. No one could have portrayed this world more authentically than he did in Bernard Tavernier's award-winning film Round Midnight (1986), which made the hitherto popular saxophonist an immortal legend.
This time, MAO members follow in the footsteps of Gordon's mature but not yet lost era. On this laid-back session, the saxophonist dominates all the tracks, with long delays, often playing behind the beat. In a way that is typical of him, he manages to brilliantly play the theme without losing the audience. The repertoire includes four of Gordon's compositions, of which Rhythm Mad seems to be infiltrated by the then burgeoning rockabilly fashion, but still has a backwards swing swing beat. The slow ones, including the then little-known Cry Me a River, are also wonderful. Of the band, the debut of pianist Carl Perkins is the most notable. It will be a heavy task for Gábor Cseke, but the production will be carried by the versatile saxophonist and excellent stylist Árpád Dennert.
Opus Jazz Club
Adventurous European jazz and great Hungarian cuisine in the heart of Budapest
