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Jazz 101

The Ballad Style of Wardell Gray

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Marc Myers
Oct 30, 2025
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Tenor saxophonist Wardell Gray is perhaps best known for his fast bebop and seamless improvisation. Most remarkable are Gray’s uptempo studio and live recordings with tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon in Los Angeles in 1947—The Chase, The Hunt, Bopera, Bopland and Jeronimo. The pair set the standard for tenor battles. [Photo above of Wardell Gray]

But Gra…

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