The Giants Of Jazz

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During 1971-72, George Wein organized the Giants Of Jazz, a touring sextet of survivors from the bebop era.

Comprised of trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, altoist Sonny Stitt, trombonist Kai Winding, pianist Thelonious Monk, bassist Al McKibbon, and drummer Art Blakey, the group lived up to its potential and delighted audiences around the world.

This full-length program features the group on “’ Round Midnight” (with Monk in the spotlight), “Tour De Force,” Sonny Stitt’s showcase on “Everything Happens To Me,” “Woody’n You,” Kai Winding on “Lover Man,” “Tin Tin Deo,” and “A Night In Tunisia.”

While some listeners might have initially felt nostalgia seeing these veteran greats who were still mostly in their late-forties/early-fifties, the performances that they created in the early 1970s did not merely recreate their past glories but added to the legacy of the music.

This is classic stuff.

-Scott Yanow

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