Dexter Gordon and Hampton Hawes
Blues a'la Suisse
Live at Montreux
(1973)
Dexter Gordon - sax
Hampton Hawes - rhodes
Bob Cranshaw - bass
Kenny Clarke - drums
Blues à la Suisse was recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival on 7 July 1973 and released the following year on Prestige. Although the title track is credited to Dexter Gordon, it’s actually John Coltrane’s “Some Other Blues” from his 1960 album Coltrane Jazz. The line-up pairs Gordon’s muscular tenor with Hampton Hawes on both acoustic and Fender Rhodes, Bob Cranshaw on electric bass, and Kenny Clarke on drums.
Hawes’ Rhodes brings a distinctly electric, funk-inflected texture to the set, reinforced by Cranshaw’s bass, creating a modern and somewhat lighter backdrop than Gordon’s usual hard bop settings. The album stands as a fascinating document of a transitional period in jazz, where traditional virtuosity met the changing sonic palette of the 1970s.
