Track Listing

1. I Was Doing All Right
2. You've Changed
3. For Regulars Only
4. Society Red
5. It's You or No One
6. I Want More [*]
7. For Regulars Only [Alternate Take][*]

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #90017 in Music
• Brand: Dexter
• Released on: 2004-07-13
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Extra tracks, Original recording remastered
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Customer Reviews

Doin' Allright
Being that I'm a huge Dexter Gordon fan, I was extremely happy last summer when I found out that Blue Note was adding three more of Dex's classics to the RVG series. This session happened to be the first one I picked up and it actually turns out to be my favorite of the three (the other two are "Dexter Calling" and "One Flight Up"). The present session is the first one Dexter ever did for Blue Note and still ranks up with his best. The personnel includes the then young but amazing Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, Horace Parlan on piano, George Tucker on bass, Al Harewood on drums,and of course, LTD himself. Hubbard and Gordon compliment each other perfectly, which explains why they ended up working together again a few more times in the future. The ensemble treat Gershwin's "I Was Doing All Right" in a very laid-back, relaxing manner which really shows off every member for all their worth. Dex's rendition of "You've Changed" to me qualifies as one of the best ballad performances ever recorded. Hubbard and Parlan both have nice solos here but it is truly Dex's showcase and he certainly makes the most of it. "For Regulars Only" and "Society Red" are two compelling Dexter originals. From listening to these awesome tracks, it is easy to see why they are still played quite often today. "It's You or No One" is nothing short of a flagwaver and swings like there's no tomorrow. Dex liked this version so much that it became a standard part of his performance repitoire and can be heard also on his 1976 "Homecoming" disc. Like most RVG editions, "Doin' Allright" also comes with two great extra tracks. "I Want More", one of Dex's best compositions from both his performance in "The Connection" and from his classic "Dexter Calling", is now heard here. It truly is a great version and it is interesting to contrast it with the equally awesome "Dexter Calling" version. The other extra track is an alternate take of "For Regulars Only" which really does not sound that bad in comparison to the master take. "Doin' Allright" is a spectacular session on every front that should be owned by every serious jazz fan!

Nothing but class
It's no mistake that one of Dexter Gordon's albums was titled, "The Panther!" Gordon was one of the most sure-footed tenor saxophonists ever, and his art was in constructing flawlessly confident, piledriving solos full of swagger and grace.

Gordon never tried to be anything but a practitioner of straight-ahead mainstream jazz, a consummate professional. His horn playing is note perfect and crisp as the starch on his collar. On this album, he has a perfect foil in the brash, young trumpeter Freddie Hubbard.

The album starts rolling with the suave "I Was Doing Allright", and hits its stride with the originals, "For Regulars Only", and "Society Red".

My first exposure to Gordon was seeing a replay of his performance at the Maintenance Shop in Ames, Iowa in 1979--a performance that is still available on tape. Gordon, I remember, would acknowledge applause at the end of a tune by grinning and waggling his sax back and forth on its harness. He was fully aware that he was the best.

I would give the album five stars, but for the fact that the relaxed feel at times is almost laconic. It's swing to unwind by, from a player who anticipated Rollins and Coltrane, but never joined them in their free flights.

The First Classic Blue Note by Dex
After a brief absence, it is great to have "Doin' Allright" returned to the Blue Note catalog via the RVG series. The albums Dexter Gordon made for Blue Note in the 1960s revived his career, and I believe they are his greatest lasting achievement. "Doin' Allright" was Dex's first recording for Blue Note, recorded on May 6, 1961 during a stateside visit and just three days before "Dexter Calling" (see my review). This session is memorable for his frontline partnership with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard, the magical rhythm support of the Horace Parlan Trio (Parlan on piano, George Tucker on bass and Al Harewood on drums), and two Gordon originals that would become legendary jazz numbers, "For Regulars Only" and "Society Red." In all, Dexter shows us even after an eight-year recording hiatus, he's still "Doin' Allright."