Requisites

A Day in Copenhagen ~ The Dexter Gordon-Slide Hampton Sextet | By Eddie Carter

My appreciation for Dexter Gordon began when I first heard his album Go at one of my uncle Ben’s jazz gatherings during my childhood. The moment I heard Gordon’s rich, full-bodied, and resonant tone, I became an ardent fan of his playing. This morning, I’m exploring the tenor saxophonist in a different setting, paired with trombonist Slide Hampton in a stellar sextet. A Day in Copenhagen (MPS Records MPS 15 230 ST) was originally released in Germany in 1969. Rounding out the ensemble are Dizzy Reece on trumpet, Kenny Drew on piano, Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass, and Art Taylor on drums. My copy of this album is the 2023 Worldwide Record Store Day limited edition stereo audiophile reissue (MPS Records 0218937MSW).

The first side kicks off with Kenny’s energetic introduction to My Blues by Slide Hampton. The front line launches into the spirited melody. Dexter takes flight first in an invigorating solo, then Kenny follows with a reading as refreshing as a cool drink on a warm evening. Dizzy adds a brassy bite next, then Niels-Henning gets a moment to shine. Slide makes his point passionately in the following interpretation, and Art steers the group toward the theme’s return and close. You Don’t Know What Love Is by Gene de Paul and Don Raye unfolds with the ensemble’s relaxed medium-paced theme. Slide comes out swinging first. Dexter fuels the following reading with electric energy, then Dizzy comes in for an enthusiastic solo. Dexter offers one final comment before the theme’s reprise and exit.

Slide Hampton’s A New Thing ends the first side with a relaxed, easygoing beat. Art’s introduction sets up the ensemble’s melody. Dexter’s opening solo ventures into fresh musical territory, then Kenny picks up the baton with his own imaginative improvisation. The group then reunites for the theme’s reprise and conclusion. What’s New by Bob Haggart and Johnny Burke is reimagined in a medium-tempo groove to start the second side, offering a fresh platform for the ensemble’s melody and solos. Dexter opens with a silky-smooth performance, then Dizzy builds the second statement exquisitely. Slide takes his turn in the spotlight next. Kenny adds his own inventive touch in the following reading. Niels-Henning closes things with a brief walk before the song ends.

The Shadow of Your Smile by Johnny Mandel and Paul Francis Webster is a quartet performance that unfolds gracefully with subtle elegance. Dexter delivers the melody and opening statement with a delicate touch and gentle finesse. Kenny then speaks softly with quiet sensitivity. Dexter reprises the theme into a soft, gentle ending. A Day In Vienna is a tribute to the Austrian Radio’s Jazz Workshop by Slide Hampton. After the front line kicks things off with an energetic melody, Dexter delivers a commanding opening solo. Dizzy keeps the excitement high with a captivating performance. Slide demonstrates remarkable technical skill and agility next. Niels-Henning’s bass work glides smoothly and gracefully. Finally, Art wraps up with a joyful flourish, guiding the sextet to an enthusiastic closing chorus.

Joachim-Ernst Berendt produced A Day in Copenhagen. Willi Fruth handled the recording supervision, and Birger Swan was the engineer. The album boasts exceptional sound quality, featuring an impressively clear and balanced soundstage in both the treble and midrange, complemented by a deep and well-defined bass. This release showcases the remarkable results that can be achieved through collaborative jazz, with an outstanding lineup of musicians. The album skillfully merges energetic, blues-inspired pieces with tender, evocative ballads, each rendered with exceptional skill and genuine feeling. The extraordinary chemistry among the players is apparent throughout, as each musician’s unique approach enriches the ensemble, all while maintaining a cohesive and unified artistic direction.

If you’re a fan of Dexter Gordon, Slide Hampton, or any of the exceptional musicians in this ensemble, or if you’re searching for a superb record that blends hard-bop and post-bop for your library, I enthusiastically recommend and invite you to check out A Day in Copenhagen by The Dexter Gordon-Slide Hampton Sextet on your next record shop visit. This album beautifully captures the magic of American, Danish, and Jamaican artists coming together in Copenhagen for a memorable jazz session that is likely to become one of your favorites!

~ Go (Blue Note BLP 4112/BST 84112) – Source: Discogs.com ~ The Shadow of Your Smile, What’s New, You Don’t Know What Love Is – Source: JazzStandards.com © 2025 by Edward Thomas Carter

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Roxana Amed was born October 5, 1963 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The singer-songwriter blends South American folk traditions with art rock and modern jazz. Considered as one of the most important voices in South American music.

Once in the United States, she collaborated with musicians based in New York City as Guillermo Klein, Emilio Solla, Leo Genovese, Sofia Rei, and pianist/composer Frank Carlberg. She has performed at The Jazz Gallery, Dizzy’s Club at Lincoln Center, Jazz Standard, The Stone, Rockwood Music Hall, Smalls, and Mezzrow.

In 2017 was commissioned, with Brazilian pianist André Mehmari, to pay tribute to the legendary Astor Piazzolla at the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival. An album of the performance is set to be released in 2021.

Amed is a post-graduate in Contemporary Literature in Spanish Language, as well as a vocal instructor and clinician. For ten years she has led a vocal workshop for hundreds of jazz vocalists at the Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival.

She worked on a special project for the CMA grant, which resulted in Becoming Human, her eleventh album. It illustrates the human journey and her own experience as an artist. Vocalist, composer, producer Roxana Amed is a full-time Voice Professor at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami.

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Daily Dose Of Jazz…

Mark Jay Levine was born on October 4, 1938 in Concord, New Hampshire and began playing the piano at the age of five, trombone in his early teens. Attending Boston University, graduating with a degree in music in 1960, he also studied privately with Jaki Byard, Hall Overton and Herb Pomeroy.

Moving to New York City in the Sixties he freelanced and then played with musicians Houston Person, Mongo Santamaría, and Willie Bobo from 1971 to 1974. Levine then moved to San Francisco, California and played with Woody Shaw for two years. His debut album was made as a leader for Catalyst Records in 1976.

He went on to play with the Blue Mitchell/Harold Land Quintet, Joe Henderson, Stan Getz, Bobby Hutcherson, Luis Gasca, and Cal Tjader. From 1980 to 1983, he concentrated on valve trombone, but then returned to playing mainly the piano. He then led his own bands, and recorded for Concord as a leader in 1983 and 1985. From 1992 Mark was part of Henderson’s big band. He created a new trio in 1996 and recorded it for his own, eponymous label. His Latin jazz group, Que Calor, was formed in 1997.

He put on his educator hat in 1970, teaching in addition to private lessons at Diablo Valley College, Mills College, Antioch University in San Francisco, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Sonoma State University, and the JazzSchool in Berkeley. Levine wrote two method books: The Jazz Piano Book, and The Jazz Theory Book.

Pianist, trombonist, composer, author and educator Mark Levine, whose album Isla was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Latin Jazz Album, died of pneumonia on January 27, 2022 at the age of 83.

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NICOLE HENRY

Nicole Henry is a jazz vocalist out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her debut release, The Nearness of You received critical acclaim and earned Henry the “Best New Jazz Artist” award by HMV Japan and landed on most jazz radio playlists in the United States. Henry’s Teach Me Tonight reached #1 in Japan and was named HMV Japan’s Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2005. She won the 2013 Soul Train Music Award for Best Traditional Jazz Performance.

She has recorded eight albums to date with her latest Time to Love Again hit the online shelf in 2021. She continually performs around the States.  From classic jazz to classic soul, and a sprinkling of everything in between, Nicole Henry will perform material including “A Lot of Living to Do,” “You Taught My Heart to Sing,” and more.

Nicole has also enjoyed four national “TOP 10” CDs in the U.S., Japan and the U.K. and has headlined stages in 20 countries throughout her career garnering worldwide rave reviews by Japan Times, El Pais, DownBeat, Essence and more. Among her numerous accolades, Henry received the Soul Train Award for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance” & Artist” by HMV Japan, and “Best Solo Musician” by the Miami New Times.

The Band:
Nicole Henry ~ Vocals
Pete Wallace ~ Piano
Bass ~ James McCoy
Trumpet ~ Jean Caze
Drums ~ TBD

Tickets: $60.50 ~ $65.50 (fees included)

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DEE DANIELS QUARTET

Music is not a just-discovered thing for her. She has a firm foundation in the church, singing in a church choir when she was younger. She was then attracted to the soul-touching and enticing beauty of R&B.

She is in tune with the music she sings, respecting its integrities and demanding that its stories are as clear as intended, adding her own coolness and spicing to give it her unique personal energy.

In her spirit is a love for visual art — she was a high-school art teacher — but music has this almost seductive tug, and all are forgiven for falling deeply for it as Dee did. Music education is a passion. She inspires students of voice through masterclasses, workshops, and scholarship offerings.

The words of Mary Kunz of The Buffalo News say a lot about the experience of Dee Daniels’ vocal artistry: “Dee Daniels’ voice brings to mind all the most delirious adjectives: Honeyed. Sweet. Low, rich, smooth, and slow as molasses.” David A. Frye’s words about the singer are precious ones: “The Great American Songbook is in her DNA.”

Tickets: $15.00 ~ $35.00 | Student ~ General

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