 Gordon took an interest in jazz in 1980 when he was thirteen, while listening to jazz records inherited from his great-aunt.The collection included a five-LP anthology produced by Sony-Columbia.In particular, he was drawn to musicians like Louis Armstrong and the Hot Fives and Hot Sevens

At age 13, he was attending Sego Junior High School in Augusta, Georgia, where his band director was trombonist Don Milford.