Dexter Gordon - Stable Mable

Dexter Gordon was in commanding form when he cut Stable Mable in Copenhagen in 1975, a loose, generous quartet date from the heart of his European years.

The tenor giant had been living in Denmark for more than a decade by then, recording regularly with a circle of world-class players. Here he is joined by pianist Horace Parlan, the great Danish bassist Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Tony Inzalaco, a band that sounds completely at ease in one another's company.

There are no gimmicks, just a blowing session built on great tunes. Just Friends swings with sly humour, Misty becomes a slow, smouldering ballad full of Gordon's trademark warmth, and Charlie Parker's Red Cross gives the quartet a bebop workout. On In a Sentimental Mood he switches to soprano saxophone, giving Ellington's melody a lighter, more reflective glow that makes a lovely contrast with his big tenor sound.

Gordon's tone is huge yet tender throughout, and the rhythm section gives him all the space he could want, with Parlan's bluesy comping and Pedersen's agile bass lines worth the price of admission on their own. It captures one of jazz's great storytellers simply doing what he did best, far from home but entirely in his element, and sounding like he was having the time of his life.