Three Classic Albums Plus

Avid's Three Classic Albums Plus places tenor sax player Dexter Gordon's two Bethlehem-led dates from 1955 -- Daddy Plays the Horn and Dexter Blows Hot and Cool -- in the company of his 1960 comeback The Resurgence of Dexter Gordon (on which he appears on most, but not all of the tracks) as well as six of seven cuts from Stan Levey's excellent Bethlehem session, This Time the Drum's on Me, which is also from 1955. The liner notes from the original albums and complete session attributions are provided in the booklet. Prospective buyers should consider a couple of things before dropping money: first, the "remastered sound" in this budget package is not from analog source tapes, but either from LPs or perhaps even MP3s since there are audible clicks. Secondly, given that the U.K.'s copyright laws are different from Gordon's American ones, these are in the former's public domain, and there is no financial remuneration to the artist's estate. It's true that the music is great and this is certainly inexpensive, but the adage "you get what you pay for" also applies. Those who wish to investigate Gordon's early dates as a leader would be well advised to seek out the American recordings first. They contain much better sound and royalties actually get paid. ~ Thom Jurek