Dexter
Gordon: Sophisticated Giant
LP: Columbia JC 34989
CD: Sony 65295
1 Laura (Mercer, Raskin)
2 The Moontrane (Shaw)
3 Red Top (Hampton, Kynard)
4 Fried Bananas (Gordon)
5 You're Blasé (Hamilton, Sievier)
6 How Insensitive (Demoraes, Gimbel, Jobim)
7 Diggin' In (Gordon, Jefferson)
8 It's Only a Paper Moon (Arlen, Harburg, Rose)
Personnel
Benny Bailey, Woody Shaw (tp, flh); Slide Hampton (tp, arr); Wayne Andre
(tb); Frank Wess (as, fl, picc); Dexter Gordon (ts, ss); Howard Johnson
(bars, tu); Bobby Hutcherson (vib); George Cables (p); Rufus Reid (b);
Victor Lewis (d)
Recording Date & Location
21-22 June 1977, New York, NY
Commentary
Sophisticated Giant is an enjoyable record featuring Gordon
with an all-star eleven-piece band. Slide Hampton wrote the arrangements.
This is straight-ahead jazz that doesn't hold a ton of surprises. Even
so, the band performs brilliantly, and Gordon is his usual magisterial
self. Sophisticated Giant isn't as "important" as some of Dexter's
other recordings, but it's still enjoyable music. (Hutch turns in excellent
solos on several cuts.)
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Original text copyright © Scott Mortensen 2006
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