Track Listing

1. Tanya
2. Coppin' the Haven
3. Darn That Dream
4. Kong Neptune [*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #39513 in Music
• Brand: Dexter
• Released on: 2004-08-10
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Transcendent heights
Stop! Time! Enough! Moratorium! That's what I've been telling myself since CD's started becoming as much of a space and storage problem in my digs as LP's. I don't need another Sonny Stitt record, or for that matter another Van Gelder-engineered Blue Note date. I'm going to sell them on Ebay and donate the proceeds to the Red Cross.

But then I picked up yet another recording by the master storyteller of them all, Mr. Long Tall. This time he's not only one flight above every other musical narrator on the planet: he's delivering his soul-stirring message from Mt. Sinai. Doesn't matter which of the four tracks you single out: Dexter is equally inspired on each, spinning out stories that proceed from one climax to the next, "nailing" you with each carefully aimed musical word. His rhetoric is so compelling it doesn't matter if you recognize all of his serendipitous quotes: they become part of the total fabric of his sermon.

Although this album has acquired a semi-cult following because of Dexter's marathon solo on "Tanya" (hear Kurt Elling's equally amazing transcription on "The Messenger"), his contructions on the alternate harmonies of "Darn That Dream" are no less impressive. And if you need further evidence of Dexter's command, "King Neptune" provides that and more--bassist Nils Orsted Pederson and drummer Art Taylor following the Tower of Power with the hardest swinging sounds on the date.

I only pity a Donald Byrd, a Kenny Drew, or any instrumentalist that has to follow L.T. On the other hand, in air this rarefied it doesn't hurt to have a chance to catch your breath.

Masterful
My God, that classic, classic bassline to Tanya still resonates in my soul today, these many years later. As well, Dex's blowing on "Darn That Dream" still gets me all emotional and teary to this day.

What happens when you combine one of the greatest ever jazz tenormen along with the most underrated trumpeter this side of Miles ? Pure and utter magic.

I can't get enough of 'Tanya'!
'Tanya', the first number on this excellent album, runs for 18 minutes. I first heard this tune whilst watching Ken Burn's "Jazz" documentary. It has stuck in my head since then; I simply adore it.

Tanya was written by hard bop trumpeter Donald Byrd, who accompanies Dexter in this performance. They play together to begin with and then each solos through this mesmerizing and hypnotic tune. The splendour of the trumpet and tenor saxophone as instruments is on full display here.

Let's not forget the album includes some of Dexters favourites in the Rhythm section; Kenny Drew on Piano, Art Taylor on Drums and Neils-Hennig Orsted Pedersen on Bass.

An excellent album as a whole, or to listen to 'Tanya' alone.