Dexter Gordon’s ‘Dexter Calling…’ Gets New Life in Blue Note Tone Poet Series
The 1961 record was the saxophonist and composer’s second album for the label.
Blue Note Records has announced a Tone Poet Vinyl Edition of Dexter Gordon‘s Dexter Calling…, his second album for the label, recorded in 1961. The reissue is paired with a new Tone Poet pressing of McCoy Tyner’s 1970 album Asante.
Gordon signed to Blue Note in 1961 after a turbulent decade that had seen his output decline. His return to New York marked a significant resurgence, and Dexter Calling…, recorded over three days in May 1961 alongside his debut Doin’ Allright, was a key part of that comeback. The album features Gordon at the helm of a quartet with Kenny Drew on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums, moving through a program that includes two compositions Gordon had contributed to the score of the Off-Broadway play The Connection: “Ernie’s Tune” and “I Want More.” Blue Note previously reissued a remastered version of Dexter Calling… digitally in 2015, although that reissue did not feature the bonus track “Landslide.”
Dexter Calling.. is produced, like all Tone Poet records, by Joe Harley—it was mastered by Kevin Gray from the original analog master tapes, pressed on 180g vinyl at RTI, and packaged in deluxe tip-on jackets. Dexter Calling… comes in a gatefold sleeve, and marks Gordon’s third entry in the series—Blue Note has previously reissued his Landslide and Clubhouse LPs. Dexter Calling… joins the Tone Poet series’ already-rich catalog, which features releases from John Coltrane, Stanley Turrentine, and Hank Mobley.
Buy the Tone Poet edition of Dexter Gordon’s Dexter Calling here.
