RaveJazzTimesGordon’s life has previously been chronicled, but not with so much of his own achingly personal, brutally honest voice. Sophisticated Giant is not a critical analysis of his music; instead, Maxine has interwoven Dexter’s own letters and poetry with a broad spectrum of anecdotal accounts, plus her own meticulous scholarship and adoring reflections, to craft a vivid life story ... Sophisticated Giant paints vibrant portraits of the critical turning points in Gordon’s early musical development ... One of the highlights of the book is the account of Gordon’s involvement in the making of Bertrand Tavernier’s 1986 movie Round Midnight, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor ... This is a must-read for jazz fans.
