Our Man Paris in Bloomington, MN

This 1963 date is titled for
Dexter Gordon
's living in self-imposed Parisian exile and recording there with two other exptriates and a French native. Along with
Gordon
, pianist
Bud Powell
and
Kenny "Klook" Clarke
were living in the City of Lights and were joined by the brilliant French bassman
Pierre Michelot
. This is a freewheeling
bop
date with the band working out on such categoric
standards
as
"Scrapple from the Apple,"
"A Night in Tunisia."
In addition, American vernacular tunes such as
"Willow Weep for Me"
"Stairway to the Stars"
are included.
is at the very top of his game here. His playing is crisp, tight, and full of playful fury.
Powell
, who at this stage of his life was almost continually plagued by personal problems, never sounded better than he does in this session. His playing is a tad more laid-back here, but is nonetheless full of the brilliant harmonic asides and incendiary single-note runs he is legendary for. The rhythm section is close-knit and stop-on-a-dime accurate. ~ Thom Jurek