Dexter Gordon - A Gordon Cantata (1992)

There are numerous recordings of Gordon's live concerts on the market, and the jazz community is the richer for it. The tenor saxophonist's mastery of technical facility, harmonic variation, his rich, warm tone, and his capacity for lyrical expression reached their fullest flower in live performance. A GORDON CANTATA, recorded in Rome in 1978, is no exception. Backed by a superb rhythm section that includes Rufus Reid on bass, Eddy Gladden on drums, and George Cables on piano (whose sharply rhythmic approach is shown off to fine effect here), Gordon blows through two lengthy tunes, each clocking in around the 20-minute mark.