"Maxine Gordon is a force in her own right, advocating for the
music and musicians in many capacities, as a partner, friend,
manager, and scholar."
— All About Jazz
Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon (biography)
”A must-read for jazz fans.”
—JazzTimes
“With “Sophisticated Giant,” Maxine Gordon has produced a homecoming even more dramatic, and perhaps more important, than the one she helped arrange for him [Dexter Gordon] in 1976.”
—David Hajdu, New York Times
Published by University of California Press. Available from Amazon.com, Audible, and Kindle. The book also now has published translations in French and Italian.
Maxine at Harvard
Jazz historian, long time jazz advocate, executive, archivist, author of Sophisticated Giant: The Life and Legacy of Dexter Gordon, and Gordon’s widow and biographer — Maxine Gordon prepares for the publication of her next book, entitled "Quartette: Stories from the Lives of Four Women Jazz Musicians - Maxine Sullivan, Velma Middleton, Melba Liston, and Shirley Scott" (Published jointly by Columbia University & Howard University Press).
Maxine is currently completing a one-year Fellowship as Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Studies at Harvard University.
Click Here to Watch Maxine's Harvard Colloquium Seminar (Feb 1, 2023)
For over 40 years, Maxine’s invaluable expertise and generosity have helped countless clients from all walks of jazz and life. Maxine is currently serving as a Resident Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Learn more about Maxine's extensive background as a scholar, researcher, historian, consultant, producer, and organizer in the world of music and beyond.