Dexter Gordon had been resident in Europe for a decade when he recorded the 1972 New York sessions that make up this CD. While the U.S. jazz scene was dominated by fusion at the time, Gordon had remained an adherent to the classic bop and hard bop molds, retaining his full-bodied tenor sound and magisterial ease. He could also incorporate at will touches of Sonny Rollins and John Coltrane, the two tenor giants he had helped form, into his own style. The first three tracks here match Gordon with Thad Jones on flügelhorn and his brother, Hank, on piano. Thad's oblique lines and slightly muffled sound are a striking complement to Gordon's more direct approach, while Hank's subtle accompaniments strike an uncanny balance between reserve and inspiration. The young Stanley Clarke adds some adroit bass solos, and Louis Hayes has a lithe, sparkling beat, but it's Gordon's commanding presence that distinguishes the hard-swinging title track and the boogaloo blues of "What It Was." Henry Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses" shows Gordon's mastery of romantic balladry, with able support by the trio of pianist Cedar Walton, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Billy Higgins, and Freddie Hubbard joins the band for an animated, and previously unreleased, take of Gordon's hard-bop anthem, "The Group." --Stuart Broomer
