This mammoth eight-disc box set contains all of the recordings
Dexter Gordon cut for
Steeplechase Records during the mid-'70s during the last years of his long sojourn in Paris. While his earlier
Blue Note sides are often considered his finest, these dates, placing him in the company of brilliant musicians such as
Kenny Drew,
Tete Montoliu,
Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen,
Albert Heath,
Billy Higgins,
Barry Harris,
Sam Jones, and others, unquestionably rival them in quality. In addition to the great catalog
Gordon amassed at
Steeplechase, he left a ton of alternate takes and unreleased material on the shelf. This set brings together all of it, including 24 never-before-issued performances, making this, along with the
Blue Note box set, the definitive
Dexter Gordon caught at both his creative peaks. ~ Thom Jurek
