Dexter Gordon band members
Dexter Gordon (tenor and soprano sax)
Kirk Lightsley (acoustic piano)
David Eubanks (contra bass)
Eddie G Ladden (drums)

Red Rodney band members
Red Rodney (flugelhorn)
Roy Haynes (drums)
Frank Morgan (tenor sax)
Monty Alexander (piano)
Rufus Reid (bass)


This six-part series commemorates some of the great jazz names who died in the early 1990s: Dizzy Gillespie, Kenny Drew, Red Rodney, Stan Getz, Willie Dixon, Dexter Gordon and Art Blakey.

Each programme consists of two quarter-hour performances from one of them. No opinion, no commentary, no analysis - just great music. Which is, we're sure, just as they'd want it.

Dexter Gordon (1923-90)
Tenor sax player from LA who began his career with Lionel Hampton. He worked with Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis and Charlie Parker. He reached a wide audience with the movie 'Round Midnight'.

Red Rodney (1927-94)
A bebop trumpet player, Rodney started out with Jimmy Dorsey, Buddy Rich and Woody Herman, but sprang to prominence with the Charlie Parker Quintet. His work with Parker led to him being featured on the soundtrack of Clint Eastwood's film 'Bird'.