Dexter Gordon • One Flight Up
Cisco/Blue Note CLP 7051
33-RPM 180g LP
I recently purchased this album on the recommendation of a friend, as I told him I enjoyed Dexter’s album Go and was looking into expanding my rudimentary jazz collection. Not being very knowledgeable about jazz and being somewhat hesitant to try blind buys (because my history with those experiences has more often than not resulted in disappointment), this purchase (much to my relief) came as a welcome surprise. This Cisco release is top-notch in both vinyl quality and packaging, although I was a little disappointed that the vinyl wasn’t inserted into a better grade of inner sleeve. I would also have liked the inclusion of a CD copy, especially at the premium price this LP is being sold for.
When I review a record it usually takes me about four or five plays to finalise my impressions. On the first go around I give it a casual listen and see if the music grabs me and whether or not the record sounds good in terms of quietness. On the second listen I look for more detail about the recording/mastering efforts, and continue my take on the performance and likeability of the record itself. The third, fourth, and sometimes fifth listening sessions are spent making sure that my impressions of what I heard during the first two sessions haven’t changed. It often does, but not this time: One Flight Up grabbed me from the first listen and I still can’t get enough.
The thing that was most satisfying to me, and why I think this LP is so stunning, is that on every single track (and there are only three) every musician in this five- piece band was always easily identifiable, and that includes those moments when Dexter (tenor sax), Donald Byrd (trumpet) and Kenny Drew (piano) go off into their own solo showcases. Niels-Henning Orsted’s (bass) and Art Taylor’s (drums) inclusion as the backbone of pace and rhythm was a stroke of genius, and without them this recording would not have been nearly as good.
If you are one of those people that is on the fence about getting into jazz, don’t hesitate to pick this up. It is a stunning recording and I highly recommend it.